Gwillym
by FaiKazahaya
Summary: Nico is a travelling knight just looking to pay for food and shelter. So when he comes across a bulletin calling for the death of a local dragon, he has no idea just how much he was getting into when agreeing to it. Solangelo Will/Nico *COMPLETE*
1. Hunter (Prologue)

**Disclaimer: Nico and Will are not mine. The plot, however, is.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Gwillym**

**_Prologue:_**** Hunter**

**_KNIGHTS WANTED!_**

_A dragon has been witnessed flying off with the cattle of our local ranchers, and the stealing has been occurring closer and closer to town in each passing. Our people are beginning to fear for their safety. Any group of knights willing to venture out to slay the foul beast will be paid handsomely should they return with its head._

_For more information, go to the Delvwin bar in the southeast section of town, and turn into the alley. Go into the only door there._

_God bless you, kind souls._

**_The city of Delvwin_**

Nico hummed under his breath as he read the post, before ripping it from the bulletin to inspect it a little closer. _They weren't very clear exactly _what_ the knights would have to deal with, were they? _With a sigh, he rubbed his chin and fingered the stubble starting to grow there.

With an impatient whicker, the black-haired man's horse bumped the back of his head with its muzzle. Nico chuckled a little under his breath and turned to his steed.

"Easy there, Blackjack," he murmured, stroking his jet-black nose. "Let me think."

Blackjack bobbed his head and whinnied softly, swishing his tail. He stuck his nose into the pack over Nico's shoulder.

Nico batted the horse away. "No treats yet," he said plainly. Then he looked down at his hunting dog Mrs. O'Leary and sighed when he saw her sitting beside Blackjack with a begging look on her face. "We'll eat soon enough," Nico tried to soothe them. "But I'm out of money and running low on supplies, so we need a slaying job before we can buy any food. Can the two of you wait?"

Blackjack whickered and Mrs. O'Leary bowed her head.

Nico nodded, and looked back at the notice, then to the bulletin. He exhaled slowly. "Alright," he whispered, adjusting the pack over his shoulder. "Southeastern part of town. That's not too far from here." He nodded to his only friends. "Go try to find some food for yourselves. I can walk there, no problem. But don't stray too far, alright?"

Mrs. O'Leary barked and leapt to her feet, tail wagging and tongue lolling as she began to pant happily. Blackjack reared his head and bounced playfully on light hooves, and the two of them trotted off for the edge of town.

With a small, grim smile, Nico's free hand slid instinctively to the sheath at his hip, and he set off to the bar.

People didn't even spare the man a glance as they bustled about, but the occasional one shooting a wary look skyward, revealing to Nico that the notice had been right on at least one point thus far.

Upon walking up to the bar, Nico located and walked down the alley at its side, and looked for the door. It was camouflaged almost completely in the shadows, and the secrecy of the placing had his grip tightening on his sword.

With silent feet, he made his way to that door and gently opened it, careful not to make a single noise. As he did so, he readied his sword hand for a quick draw, should anything threatening be waiting on the other side.

"I know yer there."

Nico froze, letting the door swing the rest of the way open. Wood _clunk_ed deafeningly against brick.

The speaker was a man sitting hunched in a chair, elbowed leaning heavily into the dining table that separated the two men. Nico and the man, a blond under a blanket of mud and grime, gauged each other for a few moments.

The blond stood. "I 'ake ih yer 'ere 'cause of the pos'?" He nodded to the scrap of paper in Nico's hand. Then he cocked his head to the side. "Yer know, I _dih_ say a _grou'_ _of_ _knigh's_ when I wroh tha'. An' I don' see one."

Nico said nothing.

The man leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table. "Whuh's a boy like yer goin' 'oo do agains' a dragon, hm? Yer bla'e may look fancy, buh tha' means noth'n."

"I'm not a boy!" Nico spouted without thought.

Teeth were missing from the blond's grin. "Ah, yer no', eh?"

The black-haired man bristled and clamped his mouth shut.

"'Erhaps youn' man, then? Yer looks 'oo be abou' se'en'een, eigh'een?"

"Twenty," Nico corrected, deathly quiet.

The blond laughed. "Yer small for yer age, kih!"

"Just give me the details about the dragon, and I can be on my way," Nico snapped.

But the man would have none of that. "Wha's yer name?"

Nico narrowed his eyes.

The blond chuckled again. "I'm Oc'avian," he held out a hand. "Who're yer?"

"Nico." Nico didn't take Octavian's hand. "Can you just get on with it?"

"Why're yer so willin' 'oo go off an' geh yerself kille'?" Octavian's grin widened, showing off his missing teeth even more. Bile rose in Nico's throat. "Tryin' to im'ress some woman of yers?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "That's none of your concern. Now tell me what I want, or you end up with a sword down your throat." He drew his sword with a flourish.

"Aye, aye," Octavian sighed, not seeming all that concerned. He pulled out a slip of parchment from seemingly nowhere and unfolded it. "The dra'on slaugh'ering the ca'hle is always sigh'ed north of the ou'skir's of 'own." He handed the paper to Nico, who saw that it was a crudely drawn map of the town and a road stretching northward. "Follow tha' road 'oo the moun'ains, and you'll be near ih. Sa'ly, no one has mana'ed 'oo find ihs nes'. We canno' 'ell if the beas' is a male or female, an' the colorin' of the beas' is un'lear, bein' as ih only s'rihes a' nigh'. Sigh'in's say ihs a golden s'aled feer-breather."

Nico was finding it harder and harder to understand the guy, but he nodded as though he had understood every word. A fire breather up in the northern mountains—that at least gave Nico _some _hint as to what it was he was up against. "What color fire?" he wondered.

Octavian frowned. "Eh, boy? Feer co'or? Why is tha' so impor'an'?"

"Determines the rank of the dragon," Nico explained, sighing. "The kingdom never told anyone about it, did they? Well, you have the no-fire dragons at the bottom, the smoke breathers, and then the fire-breathers that spit red, orange, yellow, blue, and white fire. The poison-spitters are at the same rank as the white fires. You said this dragon was a fire-breather?"

Octavian nodded. "No one mentioned the feer co'or," he admitted.

"It's fine," Nico stated dully. He turned to the door. "I'll take my leave, and hope my path crosses with your dragon. How much is the reward?"

Octavian's grin returned. "'Oo thousan'."

"Three," Nico corrected, and left.

Sheathing his sword, he left the alley and whistled for his horse and dog, heading north. They came bounding in shortly, so Nico could mount Blackjack and take off at a trot in the direction of the road on Octavian's map. _It better not be a hoax,_ Nico thought darkly. _Or that man's going to be Mrs. O'Leary's next meal._

He grinned at the image that left in his head.

The sun was reaching its midday peak by the time Nico rode Blackjack to the path drawn on the map, and Nico could figure the trek would take at least two days to get to the mountains and back, plus another day depending on how long it took to slay the dragon.

The thought made him cringe a bit, like it always did. But it was becoming easier for him to come to terms with it, so he wouldn't hesitate and get his head bitten off like what almost happened the first few times he went to kill a beast.

Deeper down the road, Mrs. O'Leary leapt in front of Blackjack and crouched down, growing at the road ahead. Nico's horse stopped with a displeased snort, but otherwise made no noise.

Nico gazed into the forest around them intently, reaching for the hilt of his sword. The mountains were right above them, and it was only evening. Were they there _already_?

Mrs. O'Leary crept forward cautiously, snuffling the ground as Blackjack followed close behind. His horse lowered his own head, paying close attention to Nico's hunting dog as she checked their surroundings. Silently, Nico drew his sword.

Lifting her tail, Mrs. O'Leary's head shot up and pointed to one side of the path.

_She's picked up its scent,_ Nico thought.

The black-haired man freed his other hand from Blackjack's reins and snapped his fingers. In an instant, both his dog and his horse bolted into the forest. He crouched low against Blackjack and tucked his sword against his side, angled so it was always at the ready but not slicing his skin. Even then, the branches occasionally whacked at him and tore into his cloak.

The ride was short and swift before Nico's dog slowed to a trot, the fur on her haunches raised. They were nearing the mountain's base, where the bottom river met a steep incline. The perfect habitat for dragons—a nest where they're close to water while also being difficult for enemies to get to them.

Unfortunately for the dragon, Nico was used to those sorts of places. The man took a glance at the lowering sun, and gauged the sunlight to last at least two or three more hours.

_Plenty of time to find a route to the cave, wherever it is,_ Nico reasoned, jumping off Blackjack's saddle with his sword still drawn. He addressed the mountainside intently.

"Where do you smell it?" the man whispered to Mrs. O'Leary. "Directly ahead? To the side? Behind? Where is the nest?"

The large hunting dog sniffed and padded onwards. Directly ahead, then?

Nico patted Blackjack's neck and told him to stay there until they came back before following after Mrs. O'Leary.

He shouldered his emergency-supply pack with a well-earned grimace. Even if he knew how to scale steep mountainsides, it didn't mean he had to _enjoy_ it. Especially fording through the river at the base in order to even _reach_ it! That took quite a bit of walking, (At the very least mountain rivers were less water and more _rushing,_ so it wasn't too difficult to find a rock bed in the current. Though the water was as cold as the icy pits of hell, in Nico's opinion) but at least they managed to cross before the sun started to set. Nico didn't want to try following his dog or finding his horse in complete darkness.

Nico and Mrs. O'Leary climbed the mountain slowly, every so often changing direction as the hunting dog's scent trail veered off to a different area. The wall of stone looked empty to the black-haired man, but he knew how much dragons preferred camouflaging their nests.

If Nico had been a dragon, he would have had a cave in an area like that, too. Anything other than to have your head struck off by a puny mortal, after all. But he wasn't a dragon, and he had to strike off that head. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to feed and shelter himself and his companions. He couldn't spare any time to feel sympathy for that dragon—it stole food, so it had to die. Simple as that.

The man breathed a sigh of discomfort when Mrs. O'Leary pawed the ground and unearthed a section of the chasm apparently housing the dragon. With a pressure in his gut much like the weight of a rock, he readied his sword. He wasn't looking forward to seeing the beast, the fire, or the blood. Anything but the blood.

But he helped his hound dig a hole large enough in the nest for them to squeeze inside, and crawled in, sword in front of the man at all times.

The smell of dragon came at him in waves, turning the rock-like weight into a boulder. No doubt about it, there was a dragon living in that nest—and was most likely in there at that very moment.

With a growl, Mrs. O'Leary drew Nico's attention to her, where she promptly jabbed her nose to the right of the pitch-black cave and walked on. In order to keep from getting lost, the hunter was forced to follow close behind and shove his hesitant thoughts far, far away from himself.

He needed the money, after all.

The stench of dragon only got stronger the deeper they got in the nest, but it was an odd sort of stench, much unlike any of the others Nico had smelled. Mainly it smelled of rotten flesh and the metallic bite of blood and gems, but this one was a bit different. It smelled of _life_, as though the dragon had a garden inside every shadowy room that they passed by. And not just a garden—an _herb_ garden. Heavens forbid the dragon he was going to kill wanted a fresher breath, because that alone would have killed Nico, no need for the damned _fire_!

And so, Nico ended up using one hand to carry his sword and the other to hold over his mouth as he and Mrs. O'Leary slunk silently through the tunnels, eyes watering as the stench worsened. He had to feel bad for his dog on that, but the brave hound made no sound of complaint.

That is, until the voice called out and made them both jump and freeze, coaxing that traitorous yelp out of the poor dog.

"_I know you're there_," it spoke, voice masculine (though that said nothing of its gender, Nico had met plenty of females with that same deep tone). "_Why don't you come out now before I have to turn you into a pile of charcoal? I find humans a lot better alive, after all. A lot more entertaining._"

Nico cursed under his breath in his home tongue, but stepped into the room where the voice had echoed out from, holding his sword as steady as he could have in the situation—which was, if he was going to be completely honest—almost not at all. _Especially_ after he'd gotten a look at the owner of the voice.

The dragon was so large that it was half the size of the coliseum-sized cavern with its body alone, golden-colored scales glittering on its hide similarly to the bed of gold and silver coins and jewels it was resting on. White feathers covered the folds and curves of its hide, even making up a good majority of the beast's wings, while its long tail swished through coins in sounds like the pittering of rain and the clinging of thin metal, its tip puffed with the same plumage. Its head was lying on the mound of treasure, eyes almost sleepy as they gazed over at Nico.

With a grunt, the dragon shifted on its nest and readjusted itself, crossing its forelegs and turning its head slightly to get a better look at the human before it, the hunting hound at the man's heels whimpering softly, tail between her legs.

_White feathers,_ Nico thought subconsciously. _Feathers. It's stronger than a regular scaled-fire-breather, at the very least. And older than most, by its size._

The dragon and the man looked each other over for a moment more before the dragon parted its jaws to speak in a deep, rumbling voice that made the floor of coins shudder. "_You have found my home,_" it said, not sounding very surprised.

Nico swallowed, trying to keep his sword raised.

The beast cocked its head. _"Are you here to slay me?"_ it drawled. "_Or perhaps to threaten me into offering you some of my treasure? If that, be my guest and take a handful. I have too much for my liking, anyway._"

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "D-Dragon treasure is bad l-luck," he stammered, trembling unwillingly.

"_Not when given willingly_," the dragon responded, sounding disappointed. _"I take it, then, you're here to try and slay me."_

Nico gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down; turning to the same mindset he had for every other slaying. _It's just an animal, _he thought, _and you're the hunter who needs its meat and hide for food and warmth. End its life, and strike. Kill it quick and without pain._

But he found himself unable to move in the piercing blue-eyed gaze of the dragon.

_"Will you not answer?"_ it murmured softly, voice like a brush of fresh air in the musky smell of caves around them.

Nico shuddered.

The beast lifted its head, and stretched its neck so it was closer to him. "_At the very least_," it said, just as softly. "_Tell me your name_."

The human blinked. "Wh-Why should I tell you that?"

"_Because the victim has a right to know the name of his killer_."

The dragon's gaze was so, _so_ soft, as if Nico were its baby and not its hunter. Nico found himself involuntarily melting under that gaze. "N-Nico. Nico di Angelo," he mumbled, lowering his sword. Vaguely, he heard the clatter of that sword falling to the ground a moment later, but he was captured in the dragon's gaze.

"_Nico the angel,_" the dragon tasted the name carefully, as though it were a sacred thing. _"So sad, isn't it, that you were here to kill me, little angel?"_

If Nico hadn't been hypnotized, he would have bristled and sputtered at the monstrosity for daring to even _mention_ what his name meant and then making a damn_ pet name _out of it. It was embarrassing enough to his fellow knights, but a _dragon_—a beautiful, powerful, golden dragon who watched on him with such a gentle gaze? It was downright _humiliating_.

But Nico couldn't care any less, because the beast was shrinking, morphing into a human like the black-haired man was. And bloody hell was he _gorgeous_.

Sun-kissed skin, bright blue eyes and golden hair greeted Nico, on a face that would have borne the name _angel_ far better than he did. It was, indeed, a man's body the dragon took up based on the shirtless well-toned chest that he got to see, so Nico could assume he had always been male, and the sight also held his gaze, though the surrealism was fading ever-so-slightly.

Nico narrowed his eyes at the beast when he realized that the blond was nearing him with bare feet sliding almost silently on the sea of treasure, and he tried not to stare too openly at the way the red-brown fabric of his trousers held his legs appealingly. He made up for the blush blossoming in his cheeks in his glare.

The dragon-turned-human looked down at Nico's fallen blade with hints of amusement in his blue eyes. "You dropped your sword," he said matter-of-factly.

Nico resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but the corner of his mouth quirked upwards without his consent.

The blond smiled in return, eyes sparkling. "Does this mean you're rethinking killing me?" he wondered, voice hopeful.

"More like I'll drink in your presence before I can think any further to pick it up," Nico replied, finding it a lot easier to talk while the being looked like _that_. Gods, there had to be something wrong in the air if he would say something like that_ out loud_!

The blond's smile widened. "Then how about you come closer, so you're not near it if you retaliate?"

Nico didn't budge. "What's your name?"

The dragon huffed in amusement. "Gwillym."

"Quite the mouthful," Nico murmured back, his consciousness seemingly lost in those eyes. "Can I call you Will?"

Gwillym nodded his head acceptingly, eyes glittering. "Of course, angel."

Nico melted a bit inside.

Somewhere in his conscience, the black-haired male knew that that wasn't how he normally would have responded. He knew that he was supposed to be mad at Will for something and strike at him with his sword—to lob it off and shove it at that toothless creep Octavian as his prize. But the rest of his mind threw that lingering thought far far away from the present.

After all, why would he want to cut off the head of such a beautiful, kind-hearted man?

With a smile that threw away the rest of Nico's worries, Will held out a hand for Nico, inviting him with his eyes.

The black-haired man took it without a moment's hesitation, and allowed himself to be dragged deeper into the sea of treasure that brought about a dreamlike glow to the immortal's body. It was as though Gwillym—_Will_, Nico corrected himself subconsciously—was his own light source.

His own sun.


	2. Wyvern Arc (Part 1)

**A/N: I have this headcanon of Nico-Blackjack bromance. That's why he's Nico's horse and not some random stallion or mare.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part One of: _****Wyvern Arc**

"You…didn't do it," Nico said slowly, eyes narrowed and disbelieving.

Gwillym—or _Will_, as he'd somehow given the dragon a nickname in his hypnotized state—was smiling easily, sitting comfortably cross-legged in one of his many personal meadows. They were a part of the cave system that was his home, as Nico had learned in his little impromptu tour of the tunnels, made different only in the holes in the top that let sunlight stream in. The grass was green, the cave warm even when it should have been freezing as they were high up in the mountain, and there were plenty of the _herb gardens_ that Nico had smelled earlier scattered throughout the expanse.

And the _animals_. Nico had no idea how, but the powerful beast-made-human before him was sitting right in the middle of a mini sea of sheep, a lamb in his lap, and his hand stroking the nose of another beside him—a young female fat with babies. And just beyond the sheep were a handful of cows where Mrs. O'Leary was currently sniffing at the bull, and farther yet were pigs, chickens, even a horse and a couple llamas.

The knight, for lack of better words, was astonished.

Will nodded his head at Nico's words. "Yes, I did not."

Nico tilted his head like a confused puppy, eyes still narrowed. He doubted he would ever believe whatever explanation the dragon would have for that, especially after the hypnotizing episode the beast had yet to answer his questions for, but he had to ask. "Then what did?"

Will's eyes traveled over Nico for the umpteenth time, still as inquiring as the moment they first saw each other. The intenseness in his gaze hadn't faltered for a moment. "A wyvern."

Scoffing, Nico crossed his arms. "Sadly, I can't seem to believe that," he replied coldly. "The man describing the beast said it was a fire-breather. And, last I checked, wyverns can't breathe fire."

The dragon cocked his head. "Was this man a witness?"

Nico blinked. "No," he admitted. "But he doesn't really have to be, does he? If witnesses say they saw a fire-breather stealing their cattle…"

Will's smile softened. "Easy mistake," he decided, patting the lamb in his lap, who baaed and cuddled closer to the beast. "You see, I was there when the wyvern stole last week's cattle. I attempted fighting him off, but the humans and other cattle were at risk and I had to retreat. As long as the beast became full, he would leave the farm alone for a time."

The knight scowled at the dragon. "Right," he muttered, sarcastic. "So, now what? Waiting for the opportune moment to strike back? For it to find your own little farm here so you can unleash a personal hell on it? Or are you hoping that it'll reach the town and eat its fill of the annoying humans there?"

Will frowned thoughtfully. "You don't like me much."

Nico growled.

The dragon's smile returned out of amusement. "Because of what happened when I was in my natural state, hm?" he guessed.

The black haired man was silent.

Will nodded to himself as though Nico had actually answered. "It's a defense mechanism us higher-ranked folk develop to better ward off humans. We can momentarily hypnotize them until we can deem them as a threat or not. I hope you can forgive me for it."

Nico wrinkled his nose. The dragon hadn't sounded all that apologetic to him. "Whatever," he snapped, turning his head away. He paused. "Just don't do it again," he added as an afterthought, doing his best to hide the wariness in his voice. He didn't want to act weak around the beast again.

Will laughed. "As you say, angel."

"Don't call me that, dragon!" The knight barked with a grimace.

Mrs. O'Leary yipped and scampered up, tail tucked between her legs as she neared the beast.

Will's smile turned to the hound, and widened. "Hello, girl," he murmured.

The hound made a noise akin to embarrassment, and ducked behind Nico's leg.

Will glanced through his eyelashes at Nico. "She yours?" he wondered.

"Yeah, she is," Nico frowned. "Wouldn't that be obvious?"

"That depends." The dragon petted the pregnant sheep at his side. "These animals are, in a sense, my own. But they stay of their own free will, because I adopted them from a farm as payment from a herder's wyrm problems, and they have a choice to return to their original master at any time. Does your hound have another master?"

Nico sniffed, fingers finding the fur on top of Mrs. O'Leary's head. "A retired war hero," he admitted, voice quiet. He wasn't too sure why he was so willing to speak the truth, maybe the beast's mystic abilities at work again. "He passed her and the horse waiting for us outside to me, though he didn't give me a reason why."

"War hero," Will said, blinking thoughtfully. "You trained under him?"

The knight shook his head.

"Then why do you think he did it?"

Nico looked down at his hound, frowning. "I…I don't know."

If the dragon could tell he was lying, he didn't say. He just sighed and looked up at the sunlight streaming in through the holes in the ceiling, blue eyes clouded in thought.

Silence stretched between the two, until Nico could no longer stand and had to sit down with Mrs. O'Leary's head in his lap. It might have been hours or even minutes, but the knight refused to be the one to break this silence. He could wait. After all, it's what he had been doing all the years of training and getting stronger. Waiting. For what, he wasn't too sure about, other than that pride-crippling crush he'd had on the war hero Perseus Jackson. He'd been sure to smash that little fantasy to pieces the second the man's fiancée Annabeth had come to him pregnant and wondering if Nico would be the godfather.

Nico closed his eyes, fingers trailing down his hound's back. He had run away from her and Percy, unable to answer. Too overwhelmed with emotion; that gut-wrenching feeling of being rejected.

That had been two years ago. Absentmindedly, Nico wondered how they were. Were they still together? Happy? Children healthy and alive?

Nico shook away the thought, cursing himself for even thinking about it.

Something warm touched his face. "You seem deep in thought," the dragon's voice murmured.

Nico flinched, jerking away from the hand resting on his forehead. "What's it to _you_?" he spat.

The dragon's human face remained unchanged. "You fascinate me."

The knight didn't like the sound of _that_ one bit. He'd heard stories of dragons gaining interest in certain humans, following them where they go and seeing what they do, even at points seducing the human. Until, that is, the beast gets bored and decides to have the victim for an early dinner.

Nico's look of distrust obviously didn't go unnoticed by the dragon. "Shall I rephrase?" he offered with a little wave of the hand. "I meant that you're the only human who has found my lair, broken my hypnotism spell, and still stayed to speak with me without attempting to kill me. I must say, it doesn't make for much of the 'dragon-slayer' personality that I had."

"I _broke _your hypnotism?"

Will offered a small smile. Nico almost thought it looked _awed_. "Once I set the spell, it does certain things to humans depending on their motives. And it doesn't fade for _days_ if I spare them. For a slayer like you, you should have gone mad. Yet you remained calm, collected, even after you dropped your blade." Will paused for a moment to laugh, the sound echoing through the cavern. "I'll admit, that's the only way I knew the spell had _worked_."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. By no means had he been "calm" and "collected", but he decided to play along with the dragon's assumption. "And what does it mean, to have broken the spell?"

Will gave a shrug, which made him look almost _human_. "If I had to guess, I'd say it was because you found me attractive, but that's only my pride talking." The dragon smirked at Nico, who was trying his best to resemble a tomato. He fanned his face with a hand, scowling at the beast. "It's either that or you're…" Will squinted at the knight for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nah, forget I ever said anything. No way _that's _the reason. You don't have the scent…"

Nico frowned and gave an inquiring look, but Will offered no explanation.

"So!" The dragon stood, gently setting down the lamb in his arms. The herd of sheep simultaneously moved on to a different section of the cave. "I'm certain you're getting tired. How about you go rent a hotel room, get some dinner?"

"With what, exactly?" Nico scoffed, standing also. "I got the job to slay you for the purpose of _getting _that money. I have none right now. I'm broke."

Will took a couple gold coins from his trouser pocket, offering them to the smaller man. "Will these suffice?"

Nico's nose wrinkled. "Dragon gold is bad luck."

The dragon rolled his eyes. "Only when stolen from the dragon," he repeated from their first meeting. "These are offered in exchange for not killing me."

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Only two, for your life?"

Winking, Will brandished the coins in the air and started off for the main chamber in his tunnels. Nico followed after a few yards separated them, his hound at his heels. "This is only to tide you over for tonight, angel," he was saying over his shoulder as he strolled. "You'll come back in the morning to receive full compensation, hm?"

Nico narrowed his eyes at the dragon's back.

As though hearing the knight's thoughts, the dragon tossed the coins one by one to Nico, who snatched them out of the air effortlessly. "I'm curious," he said softly, almost incoherently. "So I'm willing to help you find the wyvern stealing the cattle, to see what you do. I wouldn't eat you _before_ then, angel. Then I wouldn't know what you would've done!"

Nico blinked. "You'll help me track it down?"

"Mm," Will hummed his affirmative. He bent down and scooped up Nico's fallen sword, bare feet sliding through his treasures. He tossed it up, and caught it by the grip, letting the surreal lighting of his cavern bounce off the steel surface. "I think it'll be amusing…" Will murmured, and it took Nico a moment to realize he was talking about the wyvern and not using the sword to gut the knight. "What _will_ you do, when you see? I'm honestly puzzled. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Nico's eye twitched. _Way to lay on the pressure, beast._

On the outside, he just growled at Will, and huffed when the dragon answered with a smile over the shoulder at the smaller male.

Will set the blade on his shoulder leisurely and headed on into the tunnels Nico came from. "Enjoy destroying my walls, don't you?" he said upon reaching the hole.

Nico ignored that jab, opting with frowning at the hole in confusion. "It's dark outside."

Will raised an eyebrow at the knight. "Yes? So?"

"It was day in that cave."

"I _am_ gifted in sun-linked powers. I can make light throughout my territory. Solar powered, some might call it."

Nico was baffled. A fire breather with feathers was one thing, but powers of that magnitude? What had he gotten into, agreeing to slay the being before him?

Will blinked at Nico. "Is something the matter, angel?"

"_Don't call me angel_!" Nico barked, flushing indignantly.

The dragon laughed at the outburst. He handed the knight his sword back, and gestured out the hole. "Onwards, then, angel," he said, probably just to spite the fuming man next to him. "You should head on to town before they close up the hotels or something, whatever you humans do when you're late."

Instead of striking off the dragon's head with his newly reacquired blade as he would have in normal circumstances—he had never really liked humans, after all, and Will was becoming more and more like one—he sniffed and crawled out of the hole without a word.

Because he, too, was curious what would happen when they found the one actually stealing the cattle. The wyvern.


	3. Wyvern Arc (Part 2)

**_Part Two of: _****Wyvern Arc**

A light prodding woke Nico up the next morning.

Groaning, the knight swiped his hand dismissively at the owner of the hand and turned on his side away from them. "A little longer, please…"

A melodic laugh answered the half-asleep man. "Angel, you'll have slept the whole day away if I give you more time."

Nico's eyes snapped open. He jerked himself into a sitting position and turned to the owner of that stubbornly familiar voice. Gwillym—_Will_—sat cross-legged at Nico's side, blue eyes fixed on the smaller male with an amused look on his face.

Will smiled crookedly at the shocked knight. "Awake at last, angel?"

Nico glanced around the room, a plain hotel room that he had rented for his stay, and found Mrs. O'Leary watching silently from a corner, head bowed in respect to the dragon.

Will had to be _much_ stronger than Nico had first suspected, if his hound was acting like the dragon was royalty.

With a shake of the head, Nico turned another time, this time facing the window. The curtains had been opened, a steady stream of midday sunlight filtering in. The knight noted the half-open panel, and would have rolled his eyes. The damn dragon had _snuck in through the window_!

"How are you?" said dragon inquired, head tilted like a dog's. "You slept for quite a while. Have troubles sleeping last night?"

"Hardly," Nico yawned. Even with nightmares the man would sleep like a log. "I'm just not a morning person."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping to noon every day. That cannot be healthy."

"I don't sleep to noon _every_ day," Nico argued sleepily. He opened his arms. "Mrs. O'Leary," he called.

His hound immediately jumped up onto the bed and curled up beside him, head in his lap.

"Interesting name," Will mused, stroking her back with a tan hand. "Did the war hero name her?"

"I don't know," Nico said, not seeing any reason to lie about that particular question. "I didn't know him well when he first got her."

"I see."

Nico glanced up to see the dragon's eyes on him, unblinking. He seemed to be thinking about something, but Nico had no idea what it could be.

After an awkward moment of staring, the dragon finally blinked. "Hm," he grunted, looking away from the knight. "Well, we should get going. If we're to eat and get started tracking down the wyvern on time, it'd be best if it wasn't nightfall by the time we even get out of the room."

"It's only noon!" Nico moaned.

Will's mouth quirked up on one side. "I would've rather we started a sunrise. Feel lucky I let you sleep."

Nico huffed and scowled stubbornly at the beast, but followed obediently as the blond got off of the bed. He headed for the window while Nico headed for the door to the hallway.

They met up at the entrance to the hotel, Nico clad in his public attire. Will, as Nico hadn't noticed before in his half-awake state, was wearing more casual clothes, obviously just a few years outdated. The knight supposed the dragon didn't get out much, having to protect his animals and hoard constantly, but it was still a bit amusing to see.

"Do you _ever_ wear shoes?"

Will snorted. "I like my certain freedoms, thank you very much."

Nico's mouth twitched upwards, to his chagrin. "You'll step in cowpats and horse dung."

The dragon rolled his eyes, walking Nico and his hound to a nearby bar. "Not new, I'll let you know. It's probably worse at home than on these streets."

At the bar, Nico slid into a chair at the table closest to the door. "Mrs. O'Leary," he said to catch his hound's attention. He pointed to the corner next to him. "Sit. Stay."

She complied, ears pricked towards Nico, then Will.

"I'll get you something too," the dragon promised her, making her tail wag in excitement.

"You brought money?" Nico asked.

Will brought out a single gold coin. "You know who you're asking, right?" he chuckled and grinned. "Of course I brought money."

Nico felt stupid for asking it. Of _course_ the dragon with a mountain of treasure would have brought money to help feed himself and the poor man and dog that had nothing in comparison. The knight struggled to keep a straight face, borderline grimacing.

Will went up and bought them all lunches of sandwiches, water and a chunk of raw meat for Mrs. O'Leary. He had even gotten a bag of corn for Blackjack, when they went for him.

Nico frowned down at his sandwich. "Thanks," he murmured, quiet.

"You're welcome," Will replied, taking a bite of his sandwich and licking his lips thoughtfully. "Not the best quality food, I'll admit, but it'll fill us up so we can track that wyvern."

"Where will we be going?" Nico asked, taking a tentative bite of his food. It tasted like cardboard.

Will finished his food quickly and sipped at his water. "I want to go see this guy who gave you the job to slay me in the first place. See what he has to say about it. You remember where he is?"

"Of course I do."

"Good. Now finish up, I want to leave soon."

Nico finished choking down his sandwich in silence, eyes fixed on the table. He could hear Mrs. O'Leary chewing on a leftover bone from her meal just to his side, and was glad that she could actually eat something for once. He had that much to thank the dragon for, at least.

"Finished?"

Nico looked up and met blue eyes. "Yeah."

Will nodded, and stood. "Let's go ahead, then. Lead the way."

"Could I get Blackjack first? My horse."

Will's lips quirked in amusement of another odd name. "Of course, angel."

The knight bristled at the name, but was smart enough to stay quiet. He snapped his fingers for his hound and led her and the dragon back to the hotel, where Blackjack was resting in the nearby stables.

Nico had Will tip the stable boy for being quick about getting his horse up and out with his saddle already on, much to the dragon's amusement. Initially, the beast had been mildly surprised to Nico's sudden boldness to using his money, but he was happy enough to oblige.

Once free, Nico mounted Blackjack and looked down at Will. "No funny business and you can ride," he stated, fighting off the tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks. "We can get there faster this way."

Will's smile was dazzling. He bowed to Blackjack, murmured a few words, and took Nico up on his offer by lifting himself up behind the smaller male in the saddle. They had to sit with Nico's back snuggled up to Will's torso for both of them to fit.

Blush becoming harder to fight off, Nico urged Blackjack to a trot, trying to ignore the heat coming from the dragon's chest. His back must have been pretty tense, because the blond was soon shaking slightly in laughter.

"How amusing," he chuckled into the black-haired man's ear, making the hair on the back of his neck rise and prickle with nerves. "Am I so scary that you'd keep up your guard forever, angel?"

Nico stubbornly bit his lip and didn't reply. He stayed silent until they were almost upon the place where Octavian had given him the job to slay Gwillym, and even then his voice was merely a whisper. "Don't even doubt it."

"What was that, angel?" Will asked, having been drawn out of his own brooding.

Louder, Nico replied, "I said we're just about there."

Will looked around, and nodded. "I see."

Nico stopped Blackjack at the mouth of the alley, and was about to jump off to lead Will to the door, when said dragon grabbed the knight's arm to keep him from getting down. "Don't move," he said, voice cold.

A shiver went down Nico's spine, and the black haired man immediately cursed himself for having been so naïve. Of _course_ the dragon would strike the moment he let down his guard. So it had been foreshadowing something when teasing the man after all.

Nico's hand slowly edged towards the knife at his hip. It would be better suited for close-range fighting than his sword. "What is it?" he asked, feigning impatience.

But instead of striking the knight, the dragon's grip loosened. "Don't bother getting down," he growled, voice sounding like he was looking into the alleyway. "I can smell it. _Him_. His scent has already grown old."

Nico frowned. "You _know_ the creep?"

Will actually _growled_, which sounded like thunder coming from the base of his throat. "Unfortunately."

Mrs. O'Leary's and Blackjack's ears both flattened against the backs of their heads at the dragon's sudden aggressiveness, and Nico's horse whickered nervously and trotted in place. His hound made a strained whine-like noise, tail tucking between her legs.

Nico turned his head to try and get a look at the blond's face. "How do you know him?"

Will's nose was scrunched up as though the scent of the scraggly blond was nauseous. "You are better off not knowing."

Nico glared. "He _was_ the one who sent me to kill you, you know."

"That means nothing to you having to know who he is, angel." The dragon's voice softened the slightest bit. "That's just you wanting to stick your nose in dragonfolk business."

Nico huffed and bared his teeth in exasperation. "Fuck you."

Will chuckled.

After a moment of gauging the alleyway one last time, Gwillym leaned around Nico and spoke to his horse in a strange growling tongue, and Blackjack seemed to understand, turning back in the direction of the hotel and moving forward at a canter.

Nico decided not to question it this time. "What do we do, now?"

Will sighed softly, as though pained to have recognized Octavian's scent. "I suppose we can now go through town for rumors, but I'd really like to stretch out my wings for once and actually _track_ the wyvern. So I can go to the farm it last stole from and hope there's still a scent trail. Want to come?"

He would get to fly? "Sure," Nico said, blinking at the road ahead of them. "But won't it get suspicious, if people see a dragon and someone riding him off towards a farm? Wouldn't people start to assume?"

"We can be discreet," Will soothed the man. "I just haven't had the chance to actually _fly_ since the night the wyvern last struck. I've been busy chasing off endearingly annoying knights coming by with the sole desire to remove my head from my shoulders."

Nico pursed his lips. He chose not to acknowledge the 'endearingly' part of Will's statement, and hereby refused to believe that his cheeks were actually heating up because of the little hint at flirting. "Right."

Nico could practically hear Will's smirk. "Yeah?"

Damn dragon.

Upon arrival back at the hotel, they dropped Blackjack back off to the stable boy, who looked at them oddly until Will flashed another coin in his direction. He then promptly returned Nico's horse to his stable without a word.

Nico glanced from Will to Mrs. O'Leary.

The dragon caught his look. "We should leave her with Blackjack," he said, leaving no room for discussion. "To look after him. I have no idea what would happen to either of them should something happen while we're away. They're best sticking together."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed, but stayed silent.

Will's eyes were unreadable as they examined the knight's. "Shall we get going?" he suggested, voice a murmur. He held out an arm, as though Nico were a woman being escorted to her carriage.

Slyly, Nico sidestepped the dragon and tilted his head pointedly. "Lead the way."

The dragon's smile seemed to wane ever so slightly. "Of course."

"Then let us be on our way, then."


	4. Wyvern Arc (Part 3)

**_Part Three of: _****Wyvern Arc**

Flying was nothing Nico di Angelo, knight of twenty years old, had ever experienced in all of his life.

He sat on Gwillym's neck, where the dragon's wings met body just behind the knight's legs. Every now and then, there would be a brush of feathers and scales against his calves at each stroke of mighty wings, and each touch gave Nico a sense of wonder of the power it must have taken to even lift such a massive being off of the ground.

Gwillym seemed alive up there, in the afternoon sky. His head was arched slightly upwards, eyes closed to the wind, muscles practically lax even in the flapping of his wings. He seemed content, at peace.

Nico almost yearned to be able to feel the same thing. To be able to lift himself high into the air with wings that spoke of strength and experience, wisdom and speed. All he had at the moment was wind tousling his already bed-messed hair, and skin that did not take riding the winds lightly. He was certain he would have windburns forming the moment they landed.

As though hearing Nico's thoughts, Gwillym's voice spoke to him. Telepathically, the knight could assume. _"We are nearing the last victim's farm, angel. Prepare yourself for the landing."_

Nico would've snorted at the dragon's obvious displeasure at having to land after only a few minutes of flight, but the wind made it difficult to even _breathe_, let alone laugh.

The knight glanced around the dragon's thick golden neck, down at the ground. It just seemed like endless trees and the occasional body of water. _Are you sure?_ He wanted to ask.

Gwillym was silent, which broke off any ideas of the dragon being able to hear the knight's thoughts. Nico was inwardly pleased with that conclusion. It would have been _really_ awkward otherwise.

_"Here,"_ the dragon murmured.

Nico knotted his fingers in the feathers on the dragon's neck, hanging on as the beast angled his wings downward, settling into a gentle dive.

Not minutes later, Nico felt the _thump_ of Gwillym's paws landing on the earth, and saw massive wings stretch out one last time before folding on either side of him.

With some difficulty, Nico slid off of the beast's neck, stumbling to the ground.

Once he'd regained his balance, the knight took in his surroundings. "We're here?" he asked, doubtful. All he saw were trees and a moderately sized meadow where they had landed.

Gwillym grunted, shifting into his human form and shaking his hair out like a wet dog. He was, for whatever reason, only wearing those same red-brown trousers again, chest and feet bare to the world. His skin was almost bronze in the evening light.

Frowning, Nico shook his head and turned away, glaring at the edge of trees nearest him. Why was the goddamned dragon always so…_captivating_? Was he using that spell-thing again?

Nico inwardly growled. He would _kill_ the dragon if he was trying his wizardry schist on the knight a second time. Nico swore it to himself that he would.

Will was muttering to himself when Nico finally started paying attention. "…About twelve kilometers from here… That was the last place I saw the wyvern before it took off with one of the man's bulls, and the humans came and made me flee. We should head that way."

"Twelve kilometers?" Nico asked, surprised. "Why land us so far?"

Will locked eyes with the knight, expression grave. "The farmer and his family live quite close to that area. We have to be careful not to be caught, lest they shoot at me and accidentally hit you instead."

Nico bristled. "Do you think I can't take care of myself?" he demanded, miffed.

The dragon's eyes softened to something akin to amusement. "To a man who has probably slain a number of my race already—I do not doubt your abilities."

With that unexpected statement, Will took Nico by the hand and dragged him into the woods, ignoring every outraged word and struggle put up against him. It was as though the dragon was made from steel, by the way he deflected every insult thrown at him with his silence.

After who-knows-how-long later, it might have been hours or even minutes, Nico finally succumbed into a stony silence to rival that of even the dragon's.

It was when Will stopped at the appearance of a path that led deeper into the woods that Nico finally felt it fit to break the suddenly uneasy quiet atmosphere. "Is that path to the farm?"

Nico cringed slightly at his blatant statement, but Will nodded as though it wasn't so obvious after all. "Yes. If we were to follow the trail to the east as we're facing, we'd definitely find the farmhouse where the family lives." He paused for a moment, chin tilted upwards. Nico could have sworn he'd heard sniffing. "The wyvern attacked down the northwestern part of the path beside us, so that's the direction we'll head."

"We'll be on the trail?" Nico wondered, only slightly hopeful. He knew there was little chance of an easy route, if the blond was going for staying hidden.

But to his surprise the dragon nodded. "We'll follow it until the coming fork in the path, where I can regain my true appearance and start tracking." His hand, still around the knight's, squeezed it tightly so as to assure the beast that Nico was still there. "So let's head on down, if we're to get there before the sun leaves for night."

Nico's breath huffed out through his nose. "Alright, then," he muttered, and kept up with the dragon's brisk pace down the dirt path. _Not like the farmer and his family isn't at all likely to jump up and find us on their land at any given moment,_ the knight thought with sarcasm.

They made it to the fork with no troubles, despite Nico's worrying, and with enough sunlight to even see that there _was_ a fork there. Well, Nico supposed that Will would've had no trouble seeing in the dark, being a dragon. If not, he could always use some of his light-magic to solve the whole issue.

Nico was drawn from his thoughts as the blond turned and began to whisper to him, hand gripping almost painfully so by that point.

"You're going to have to stay on my neck while I'm in my original form," Will murmured, grip loosening ever so slightly. "It'll be pitch black soon, with little moonshine as it's a crescent tonight. And I haven't the wish to expose us using my powers. You'll have to wait until I say so before you can get off, talk, or anything. Do you trust me enough to stay true to my word that I won't let you die?"

Nico's eyes narrowed.

Will's lips twitched upwards. "I'll take that as a no, then."

He let their hands fall away from each other, and got a respectable distance away from the knight. "Sit tight, angel. I'll be back within moments."

Nico wanted to snarl at the dragon for _once again_ calling him that dreaded nickname, but Will was already morphing into his dragon self, shaking out his wings as far as he could without knocking down the nearest trees.

Gwillym snorted and lifted up his snout, definitely sniffing the air that time around. _"I can still catch a scent,"_ he informed Nico quietly, even though his voice was telepathic. He lowered his head for Nico to clamber onto. _"Get on. We have a wyvern to find."_

With a nod, Nico used the feathers on Gwillym's neck to pull himself up, just as he'd done the first time climbing onto the dragon. Will made no noise, but used the end of his wing to help nudge the knight up when he threatened to slip. Nico settled back at the base of the dragon's neck, sitting in a similar fashion to earlier that day.

As soon as the knight stopped moving around, Gwillym walked deeper into the woods. He was forced to follow the path most of the time thanks to his size, but at times he was able to make himself just small enough to squeeze in between some trees. Nico had new nicks on his arms and cheeks from the experience, but he didn't make a peep.

It was eerily quiet in the woods, only the sound of crunching sticks when the dragon walked breaking it. Nico tilted his head up to the sky, gazing at the infinite stars and the tiny sliver of moon visible. Then he turned and looked around himself and the dragon, at the pitch blackness that he had no chance of seeing in with the moon so tiny.

An outraged cry made him flinch and swivel his head around.

Gwillym stilled.

_What is it?!_ Nico yearned to call out. Anything but sit there helplessly on a dragon's back. A dragon who was obviously doing nothing to warn away nor flee from whatever it was that made that noise.

No. The noise. Nico recognized it from other hunting trips he'd had to go on for towns to get money. Even worse, he recognized the tone. And it made him realize how deep in schist they were right then.

It was a male. A male wyvern driven by the heat of mating season.

And the beast hadn't cried because it'd seen the two.

It had cried out because of a female.

_"He's after a female with pups,"_ Gwillym seemed to agree.

"Do we intercept?" Nico whispered, one hand ready on his sword.

The dragon pawed the ground, deep in thought. He didn't even scold Nico for having broken his commands. _"We should probably wait this out until—"_

A different cry cut him off. A female cry, riddled with pain, and several tiny panicked chirps chorused her.

Gwillym bounded onward without hesitation.

Nico could tell they were in an open plain by the breeze that cut through his hair upon leaving the woods. And he could also tell that the wyverns hadn't noticed them yet, by the angry and pained cries that still went on.

Until Will roared.

Yelping, Nico scrambled to cover his ears in agony, squeezing his eyes shut when an onslaught of light erupted from the dragon afterwards. The pained and angry cries cut short.

When the roaring stopped, Nico slowly attempted opening his eyes, being forced to squint with the sudden light appearing all throughout the field. After a time of struggling, he finally managed to blink open his eyes all of the way.

The knight looked around Gwillym to check out what was going on, seeing a giant wyvern—the male, Nico could see—and another wyvern, which was the female. Behind her were three—no, four—little clumps of what had to be newborn wyvern pups, curled up in frightened little balls chirping for their mother. A nest of stone, undergrowth and hay protected them, with the mother poised in front, looking weak with a nasty looking gash in her right wing. She would no longer be able to fly.

The male, a ruffian-looking figure with countless battle scars and ripped muscles, turned to Gwillym, finally recovering from his initial shock. His head was lowered in a threatening way, and a snarl came from his chest.

Gwillym adopted a similar pose, exposing Nico from his spot on the dragon's neck. _"Slide off and stay back, Nico,"_ the dragon ordered. _"I can deal with him."_

Nico was happy to jump off of Gwillym, stumbling less than last time and jogging a tiny bit behind him, where an orb of light hung fixated in midair. It was only too late that Nico realized that the dragon had used his real name.

_Of all times?!_ Nico thought, fuming even while wary of the wyverns looking right at him. _Can't he learn how to be respectful...you know…_all the time_?!_

The male took one look at the human and turned to Gwillym, baring his teeth and growling.

Gwillym's wings shook out to their full extent, an impressive display of gold and white that made him seem thrice as big as before. He raised his head in a regal pose, and spoke to the wyvern in dragontongue.

Apparently not liking whatever Will said, the male snarled again and thrashed his poison-tipped tail on the ground.

Nico's eyes drew to the female, who was still in obvious pain. She was all the way in her nest now that the attention wasn't on her, and her head was looking around wildly for something. She wasn't even paying attention to the fighting going on right in front of her.

Nico, for some reason, understood.

She was missing a baby.

Eyes scanning over the standoff of beasts one last time, Nico looked around himself. With the orbs of lights surrounding him and the beasts, it was easier to see, but not entirely, and Nico had to squint in hopes that he'd overlooked something.

A roar came from the wyvern and was answered by Will's, calling the start of the actual fighting.

Nico's eyes fixed on a small lump of a dark something just outside of the orbs' light. Was it…?

The knight glanced at the fight, figured it would be safe as long as he kept his eye on them, and slowly edged his way towards the lump.

When he finally made it within seeing distance, Nico found he was right. It was a shivering ball of wyvern pup, too scared to even chirp.

Nico ignored the fighting and starting heading for the pup, straining to keep himself from seeming obvious. The moment the male found that pup, it was dead. Simple as that, if the cow carcass sitting not five yards from the nest had anything to go by. The male had probably been starving the female, waiting for his moment to kill off the little ones and take her for his own pups.

It opened one large green-yellow eye when it heard the knight approaching, but stayed perfectly still, like a newborn deer trying to blend in with its surroundings. Thankfully, the pup didn't seem hurt in any way. Just frightened.

Nico glanced back at Gwillym and the wyvern, glad to see that they hadn't noticed him move.

He knelt beside the wyvern pup, hands held out before him in a soothing way. It had been a way that the knight had first been able to tame his early knighthood hounds, by showing he wasn't a threat to them. That he wanted to be their friend.

He just hoped it would actually work this time.

The pup looked at Nico, eyes wide and unblinking. It didn't budge an inch. Which wasn't good for Nico, if he was going to get it to its mother before the male could find them just sitting there out in the open. Maybe he could carry it? It certainly was small enough to pull that off, if only Nico could keep it from biting his fingers.

But what other choice did he have? Leave it?

Fueled with desperation, Nico reached forward slowly with one of his hands and laid it on the pup's belly. It flinched, but didn't move its eyes from his face.

Nico took that as a good sign. Just as slowly, he edged his other hand to the pup's face and—

A livid roar came right next to Nico's ear. The male wyvern was right on top of them.

Nico and the pup cried out in shock, but couldn't move as the adult was suddenly yanked back by the wing as Gwillym clamped his jaws around it.

_"Go!"_ Will roared. _"NOW!"_

Scrambling to his feet, the knight scooped up the baby wyvern and raced off towards the nest. The male tried to follow, snapping his jaws, but Gwillym was relentless in his tugging. The wyvern was actually pulled back right where Nico and Will first arrived, at the opposite side of the field.

On the other hand, Nico was just then making it to the nest where the female had jumped out with a cry of relief at seeing her lost little one. In excitement and fear, the pup chirped back.

The wyvern didn't even seem to care that she had a human holding her baby. She just scooped them both up in her four finger-like wing-tips and carried them both into the nest with her.

Just as she was setting them down, Nico in turn laying down the pup so that it could cuddle up to its siblings for comfort, a flash of heat and light flared up behind him.

The knight had just enough time to turn his head and see white flames before the male wyvern crumpled, soot black and burnt to the bone.

As soon as Gwillym knew the beast was dead, he shook out his wings and roared in victory to the night sky. And as soon as it died, the sounds of the woods and field came alive with insects and animals that had hidden from the wyvern.

The female seemed to relax the tiniest bit, eyes fixed on the dragon. She parted her jaws and said something in the same tongue that Will had been using earlier.

Will looked at her from across the field, and then eyed the freshest carcass that lay near the nest but just out of reach.

With a deep exhale, the dragon trotted forward, light on his feet and obviously lacking any real injuries, and picked up the bull in his jaws.

The female went rigid again, obviously hungry but suspicious. Nico saw some ribs jutting out pronounced from her and her babies.

Nico, with shaking feet, stumbled to the edge of the nest. The pup he had saved looked up and chirped at him, but his eyes were only on Gwillym. _What would he do?_

Gwillym kept his gaze on the mother wyvern as he crept ever nearer to the nest. Finally, at the warning growl emitted from her, he lowered his long neck and let the carcass fall right next to the nest. He backed away, to further show he meant no harm to her.

She didn't move. Didn't avert her gaze from Gwillym for a second.

Nico felt a nudge on his leg, and saw the pup he'd saved standing on shaky legs and bracing itself up with its wings. It chirped quietly.

_"Is it okay?"_ it seemed to ask.

Nico settled his hand on its head, trying for a soothing stroke on the muzzle. "It's okay," he reassured it almost silently, keeping his eyes locked with the little one's. He just barely saw the mother turn her head to them.

The pup chirped, head cocking to one side. Its little tongue snuck out of its mouth, licking its lips with thirst and hunger of not being fed properly after a long time.

_"The food is okay?"_ its actions said.

Nico smiled softly and nodded. "He won't hurt you or your family. He just got rid of the one who was doing that, didn't he?"

To prove his point, Nico petted the pup one more time before drawing away and giving a pointed look to its mother and jumping out of the nest. He met eyes with Gwillym from across the field.

_"Angel,"_ he rumbled, voice unreadable.

Nico stayed silent. Drawing his knife, he bent over the bull carcass and swiftly hacked off a sizable piece that hadn't already been scavenged on, and turned back to the mother and pups. Stepping towards them, Nico offered the meat in both hands, knife back in its scabbard.

The mother wyvern examined the knight and the meat, aggressive stance almost vanishing for something closer to curiosity and slight doubt. It seemed she held a soft spot for the one who saved her pup, however small.

Speaking of the pup, it was bouncing as best as it could to see over the top of the nest where Nico was, chirps turning to outright yipping once it'd smelled the food in his savior's hands. The yipping was echoed by its siblings, all beyond hungry and desperate for something to eat.

The wyvern looked at her babies in worry, and turned back to meet Nico's eyes.

She said something in dragontongue that Nico couldn't understand. Gwillym, however, could. He answered in the same language, voice carefully as gentle and unintimidating as possible.

The mother exhaled slowly, in defeat. She nudged her babies one by one over the nest, then clambered over herself to help them to the carcass. Nico returned the meat to the body, and went over to help her by gathering the weakest-looking one in his arms and carrying it to the carcass. The pup he'd saved took one look at him and brightened, hobbling as best as it could to him.

As the wyvern family ate their fill with Nico cutting small chunks of meat to help the babies eat easier, Gwillym watched in silence from a distance. Nico noticed the mother cast the dragon occasional glances, but from wariness or curiosity he no longer knew.

Once the carcass was picked clean and babies full and happy and sleepy, Gwillym stepped forward and spoke to the mother, seeming concerned.

The wyvern was skeptic, and growled slightly until the dragon said something else and caused her to glance towards Nico, who was rocking one of the pups in his arms like a really big newborn child. At his feet were the rest of the litter, chirping insistently for the man to give them their turn to be held, the one he'd saved already having spread the word and was currently content with hanging onto the knight's pants leg with its wing-claws.

Seeing that her pups were safe, the mother sighed again, sounding almost resigned. She righted herself and lumbered towards the dragon slowly, injured wing causing an obvious limp.

Nico watched with furrowed brows. What did Gwillym ask of her? The knight knew the dragon was beyond hurting her, that was a given, so what else could he be after?

Gwillym walked toward them, closing the distance faster than the wyvern could have in her incapacitated state. He murmured something, and she lowered herself to her side immediately, injured wing in the air.

Nico's shoulders relaxed. So the dragon was only checking her injuries.

He set down the pup he was holding despite its protests, and picked up a different one to rock in his arms, eyes flickering back over to the adult beasts. Gwillym was looking over the tear in the female's wing, snout close and probably smelling for any infection. Nico watched closely as the dragon's tongue flicked out and ran over the worst of the injury, saliva glowing slightly like the magic pulsating all around the field. At touching the injury, it glowed even brighter, making a distinct line of light from what the knight could see.

At that point the pups demanded all the attention they could get from Nico, forcing his gaze away from the two beasts. But the light was still visible from the corner of his eye, keeping him mostly up-to-date with the healing process going on. He'd have to ask Gwillym how he got that ability afterwards.

Speaking of abilities—he was a _white_ fire breather.

The highest rank of dragon, only rivaled by the poison-spitters.

So many questions and too few answers invaded the knight's mind, and there was no denying he was curious. Well, even more curious than before. Gwillym was obviously a _very _powerful dragon, most likely one of the few that ever managed to get that strong. Why was he stooping so low to tracking down a wyvern stealing cattle just to see what a lowly knight that hadn't killed him would do in that situation?

Nico frowned deeply, switching to another pup, which was the one he'd saved as the wyvern immediately ducked its head under his chin and purred.

_"You're brooding again,"_ the voice of Gwillym observed, the dragon standing not five yards from him and the pups with their mother at his side, wound mended beautifully and still carrying an afterglow of the dragon's magic.

Nico huffed, regaining his usual uncaring temperament as the adrenaline of the fight faded. "And you notice that _now_, dragon?"

Gwillym regained his own amusement, throat rumbling with some sort of dragon's imitation of laughter, shaking his head slightly. _"Forgive me, angel, if I cannot take your sarcasm seriously while you carry a wyvern pup like your own child."_

Nico wrinkled his nose, but kept rocking the pup in his arms. It was borderline asleep, anyway, and he didn't want to disturb it.

The wyvern mother grumbled something to Gwillym, which he nodded to. _"We need to take her little ones to bed, she says. They need rest after eating after so long, and she will be able to hunt for them come morning. Ah, and she thanks you for saving her pup."_

Nico nodded, and respectfully bowed his head to the mother. "Tell her I would repeat what I did in a heartbeat."

Gwillym's eyes glimmered with some unknown emotion, and he murmured to the mother, hopefully repeating the knight's words to her.

The wyvern mother nudged Nico's shoulder with her nose, humming and looking at him dead in the eye. She murmured something that sounded almost like his "thank you" but sounded more like "Cahk oo".

Nico smiled, chest filling with warmth. "How do you say thank you in dragontongue, dragon?"

Gwillym looked at him, eyes filled with surprise. _"Ghenao,"_ he said, blinking at Nico. _"Ooklahss if you want to say 'you're welcome'."_

"G…henao?" Nico tested it on his tongue. It felt slightly awkward. "Ghenao, ma'am."

_"Ghenao eerahta," _Gwillym corrected aloud. He seemed thoughtful.

The mother looked from the dragon to Nico, blinking. Then, when seeming to understand, she bowed her own head. _"Ghenao, ghenao sahs ooklahss."_

The foreign warmth in Nico's chest flared even hotter. His smile was wide and content.

They took the babies to the nest, settling them against their mother as even she prepared for sleep. She was entirely relaxed by that point, no longer concerned with her or her pups' safety after all the good the two males had done for them. She even looked to the knight and dragon and inquired if they would be staying with them for the night (Nico had forced Gwillym to translate for him), which they politely refused. The babies would certainly be upset come morning, but at the moment they were out for the count and Nico and Gwillym really had to get to their own respective sleeping places to check on their animals.

_"Will you return?"_ she asked, translated by Gwillym. She sounded hopeful, in the dragon's opinion.

Nico had the dragon give her a negative from him. He really needed to head on to the next town, where he knew an old ally of his was staying for the time. If he didn't move on fast enough, the knight would miss meeting up with him.

The mother was disappointed, but reassured him that he was welcome any time he came by her territory. To this Nico gave a mumble of "ghenao" and tried to conceal the blush forming on his cheeks. Gwillym laughed softly and nudged the knight with his nose, which he decided to ignore.

With that, and a moment of pause to gaze one last time at the pups sleeping peacefully against their mother's belly, the one Nico had saved right on the edge and chirping in its sleep, Nico climbed up Gwillym's neck and they were off into the night sky, charred remains of the male wyvern held precariously in the dragon's claws.

After depositing the charred cattle-stealer just outside the farmer's house—sure to get a scare, but they would understand as soon as they realized that nothing was stealing their cattle any longer—Gwillym glided them in the direction of town.

_"You are quite the figure," _the dragon mused suddenly, cutting the black-haired male's thoughts that had been revolving around a certain wyvern pup. _"Saving a pup when I told you to stand back? You have guts. I can't seem to tell if it's a good kind, or an idiot's kind."_

Nico huffed, but couldn't speak because of the wind. The dragon continued talking after a few moments, anyway.

_"I suppose, because it worked, it would be the good kind. It's certainly an attractive factor when someone sticks out their neck for a being they normally would have scorned and struck with their broadsword."_ Nico bristled and flushed at the "attractive" part, but still couldn't snap back. _"You have exceeded any expectations I had before. You should be proud."_

_Oh yeah, I'm proud,_ Nico thought, dripping with sarcasm. _I just got one of the strongest beings in the world to call me _attractive_! Someone kill me now!_

Gwillym quieted, thoughtful, and they flew the rest of the way in silence. Nico wondered—vaguely, of course—what the dragon could be brooding over, but he couldn't ask because of the stupid wind.

Something inside of him was glad he would never have to fly on a dragon's back ever again after this. An even smaller something was disappointed and even_ sad_ about it.

He shook his head to clear that irrational thought away. He _couldn't_ be upset about leaving Gwillym—they had only known each other a day at the most! Even though, in that day, they had worked together to gain the trust of a wyvern mother and her pups as well as get rid of the threat looming over them…

Nico sighed sharply as Gwillym started gliding earthward. He hoped the nasty feelings of possibility and regret in his chest would leave with time. They would _have_ too, if he was ever going to make it to the next town where Jason was in time. Gwillym would do better without him, anyway.

A dragon with curiosity was never a fun time, anyway.

Gwillym landed softly on the outskirts of town, letting Nico slide off before turning back into his human form.

His eyes were unreadable, as though he was still thinking very deeply. He turned and met eyes with the knight. "Might I see you off, tomorrow when you wake?"

Nico smirked slightly, hand fidgeting with his sword handle. "Just don't sneak in through the window again."

Will flashed him a fake pout. "But you won't wake up otherwise!"

The knight rolled his eyes at the dragon's vain attempt at persuasion. He waved a hand at the dragon and made his way for the town.

"Wait, Nico!" Will called out, making said man halt in his steps. Had the dragon ever used his name before then? "You'll wait for me to say goodbye, right? Even if I'm late?"

Nico regarded the dragon from over his shoulder, biting his lip. "Sure," he finally relented, not opposed to the idea. It would probably be the only time he'd say his farewells to a dragon in such positive circumstances. "I probably won't be awake until noon, anyway."

Will smiled, relieved. "That's true." He laughed under his breath, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Sleep well."

The two turned from each other and went their separate ways.


	5. Wyvern Arc (Conclusion)

**_Conclusion of: _****Wyvern Arc**

Nico shouldn't have been surprised when he next saw the dragon. He had just woken up, glancing around in his usual sleepy daze, when his eyes landed on the window. Will was perched there, on the sill, waving with a bright smile on his face.

_You _did_ tell me not to come in through the window,_ his amused eyes said.

With a sigh, Nico rolled his eyes and gestured for Will to come in.

He slid open the window. "Am I allowed?" he whispered, smirking. Nico noticed a pouch tied to a new belt threaded into his favored red-brown trousers, but decided against asking him about it. Instead, he nodded his head. His eyes strayed to the corner, where Mrs. O'Leary was sleeping soundly, and breathed slowly out of his nose as the dragon slid into the room.

He didn't know what to say to the dragon.

Will sat down beside the knight, swinging his legs up so that he was hugging them to his chest, chin atop his knees. Just as silently, he gazed at Nico, blue eyes focused and examining.

Nico fiddled with his hands in his lap, pursing his lips. He pointedly avoided the blond's gaze, eyes resting on his hound. She was showing signs of waking up.

Will noticed that as well, and decided to take advantage of the situation by breaking the silence in a murmur. "You packed up and ready to go?"

The knight's lips twitched. He nodded.

The blond didn't let the other's silence weigh him down. "Where, may I ask, will you be heading? Or do you not have a fixed destination?"

"I do," Nico sighed as Mrs. O'Leary hopped up from hearing his and the dragon's voices and joined them on the bed. He petted her head, thoughts flashing back to petting the wyvern pup from last night in the exact same way. His rigid posture softened a touch. "I need to head on eastward, towards the mountains. I have a friend from knight-training that is currently in a city there named New Rome. Something about visiting someone, I believe. So while he's there, I may as well go and meet up with him as well. That's why I have to leave early."

Will blinked, eyes narrowed a hair. "Just a friend?"

Nico gave an affirmative noise.

"How did you come across this information, then? That he's in that area?"

"He always visits New Rome this time of year," Nico replied, picking at the fabric of his shirt. "Over the years, it's how I've been able to keep in touch with him. It certainly beats having _no one_ to visit."

Will frowned. "No family? Relatives?"

Nico gave the dragon a dark look.

He smiled back. "Neither do I."

"Because you're so old?"

"I'm not _old_!" Will whined, pouting.

"Ah," Nico said in understanding, keeping a straight face. "My mistake. It seems you're merely a newborn in an old man's body. Forgive me, I've been so foolish all along to think you were a _wise _and _powerful_—mmph."

Will covered Nico's mouth with both of his hands—which were very warm, not that Nico noticed or anything. His blue eyes flashed in his false glare, which honestly ruined the effect of being 'mad'. He seemed more playful about their conversation than upset. "Am I really that old-looking?" Will wondered, looking hurt. Once again, his eyes betrayed his amusement to the idea.

Nico smirked underneath the dragon's hands. "Mmph."

Will's pout only grew, and he turned his head away with an overdramatic huff. "Well then," he sniffed. "Looks like _someone's_ not going to get their reward." Freeing one of his hands from Nico's face, he unclasped the pouch on his belt and jiggled it teasingly, letting the coins jingle.

Nico blinked at the pouch, then remembered. The dragon _had_ offered payment for helping get rid of the cattle-stealing wyvern, but Nico was still surprised that the dragon had kept his promise.

Grunting, the knight yanked his head away from the blond's overly warm hand. "I don't need it."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Nico nodded. "I did not nor was I a factor in killing off the wyvern stealing the cattle. You handled that just fine on your own."

Will sighed almost incoherently. "You _did_ do your part," he argued, eyes clear as the sky. "You sated a mother wyvern we were not even aware of and even saved one of her pups. Without you, she would have become aggressive towards me, thinking I was only meaning to kill her children and mate her. You saved us from a second potential cattle-stealer."

Nico faltered, meeting Will's gaze tentatively. "I…"

The blond plopped the bag of coins onto Nico's lap and touched his shoulder. "You deserve it."

The black-haired man kept his eyes trained on the bag. "…Thank you."

Nico could practically _hear_ Will's answering smile. "You know…" he began, voice uncharacteristically timid. "There's a better way you could thank me."

When Nico looked up, he was surprised to find the dragon's face so close to his own. He felt his cheeks reddening. "Yeah?" he said, suddenly breathless. He was being affected again. Will must have been using his hypnotizing powers—which Nico distinctly remembered making him swear _never to do to the knight again_.

Will touched his cheek with the back of his fingers, tender. Their faces were inches apart. "Let me travel with you?"

That jerked Nico from his fantasizing. "What?" he mumbled, stunned.

Will's smile was beyond shy, face tilted downwards with bashfulness. Nico hadn't thought it possible that a being obviously very old and powerful could act just like a teenager asking out his first crush, but there it was, happening right in front of him. For some reason, it melted a thick shard of ice that had been in Nico's chest, making butterflies spring up in his stomach.

"Could I?" Will asked in an unsteady voice. His eyes darted away and back after a few moments. "Could I come with you, on your journey? I…I promise not to be much trouble. It's just… I'm…I'm curious?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Nico snorted. "Is that all you have to say for _anything_ regarding me?" Then he sobered up and frowned at the dragon. "Besides, don't you have things here? Your home, I mean. Shouldn't you stay here to protect it? After all, your animals and your treasure…"

"I let them go, as of last night," Will announced, smiling tightly. "They are no longer to call me their master, and are to return to their previous owners for care. I ensured they all made it safely to their destinations, and as for my hoard… Well, what can I say? I was never one for riches anyway."

Nico blinked, skeptic. "You are willing to throw your entire life away…" he said slowly, to show the dragon what exactly he was doing. "…To follow a human who will not live as long as you, out of _curiosity_?"

If Nico had expected Will to think over his choices, he was mistaken. The blond nodded, face setting in determination. "If you're willing to endure me for a time, I'd like to get to know you. The human who broke my spell and showed compassion to animals he should have been killing, as he'd claimed to be a dragonslayer." Will paused, eyes flashing a darker blue. "It really intrigues me."

Nico rubbed his eyes, thinking it all to be a dream before yawning. "Meet me outside," he said, gesturing vaguely towards the window. "Let me get dressed and think about it. We'll continue while I prepare my horse."

Will didn't look happy about it, but he relented with a tiny nod. "Very well." He stood and walked to the window, and turned back at the last moment. His eyes ghosted over Nico, clad in his bedroom attire and blinking the sleep out of his eyes, as though it would be the last time ever getting to see it.

He left without a word.

Getting out of bed and actually getting dressed was surprisingly hard for Nico to accomplish. His thoughts were too chaotic, revolving around the idea Will had presented to him.

The dragon had gotten rid of his life and home just with the prospect of following a knight with compassion for the creatures he killed. To be honest, the idea was rather flattering, but it now made sense why he had seen the blond's eyes with bruise-like darkness underneath them. He probably hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, preparing everything just to ask Nico if he could tag along.

Nico frowned down at the lonely pack on the floor that contained all of his belongings, and over to the pouch of coins on the hotel bed that had Mrs. O'Leary curled up around it.

Should he agree? He knew that by doing so he was breaking a lot of rules concerning becoming a companion with a dragon, but he had already done that with the wyverns. He also knew that a dragon gaining interest in a human was unpredictable and was more than likely going to snatch them up eventually in its jaws and swallow them whole. A dragon, in its long life, was easily bored with the frantic lifestyle humans had in comparison.

But, when Nico turned his thoughts to the puppy-like, apprehensive gaze Will had adopted, his heart melted a little more.

Biting his lip, the knight let out a long groan of defeat. There was no arguing with the blond when he made that face.

Frowning unhappily, he slung his pack over his shoulders and called for Mrs. O'Leary to carry the pouch. She hopped down with it in her maw and followed him out of the room, even bounding ahead when he paused to pay the hotel manager for his stay, still having Will's earlier gift of two gold coins in his pants pocket.

After a couple minutes, the man and hound were back where the stables were, where the stable boy from yesterday was already retrieving Blackjack by the appearance of Will. The blond stood with their back to them, and wouldn't glance over even when Nico shuffled next to him.

Blackjack was brought out and immediately brought to Will, where he paid the boy and handed the reins to Nico without looking. Nico took them gratefully, if a bit hesitantly, and stroked Blackjack's nose with his free hand.

"You ready for another five-day walk, boy?"

Blackjack snorted and tossed his head, a horse's way of rolling his eyes. He nosed Nico and whickered softly.

"I know, I know." Nico sighed. "I forgot about you and Mrs. O'Leary in the heat of things. But I won't again, I promise. We just couldn't have you two in the line of sight of a hungry and angry bunch of wyverns. There's only so long you can run or fight back."

Blackjack snorted again, and turned his head to the dragon.

Nico copied his horse, gazing at the dragon who continued to stubbornly avoid his gaze. "Are you asking if he's coming with?" Nico wondered to the horse.

Blue eyes flickered in his direction.

A knowing smile stretched the knight's lips as Blackjack neighed and nosed him again. "He told you to try and convince me, did he?"

Blackjack huffed.

"No?" Nico guessed, still smiling. "Ah, well... That's a shame, I was really looking forward to hearing him grovel and beg for me to let him come along."

Will's gaze was definitely on him now, but Nico kept his eyes on Blackjack's, as though they were having a serious conversation that didn't involve him.

Nico nodded to himself gravely. "Oh, yes. One more round of those puppy-dog eyes of his would have been sure to do me in. I was certainly fighting a war with myself the first time he set that gaze on me! After all, one _has_ to be serious, if they're to use _that_ face."

Will piped in, timid voice even worse than before. "Are you saying you'll...?"

Nico turned to slowly set his eyes on the dragon, eyebrow raised. "I'll what?"

He sighed slowly, slumping his shoulders a bit. "Will you let me come with you to New Rome?" he asked formally, hand on his chest and puppy-eyes strengthened by two hundred percent.

The butterflies made a personal tornado in Nico's stomach, twisting his insides into knots. "Of course, you idiot," he murmured, cocking his head. "It's not as though I haven't had tag-alongs before. If you say you don't care if you go home, then by all means come with!"

Will's eyes brightened, his smile blinding. "Really?"

Nico smirked and walked to Blackjack's side, securing his pack and pouch of coins to the saddle. "Get on," he said while lifting himself on, jerking his thumb to the spot behind him. "Not a lot of room, but it'll do for the time being."

The blond laughed, shoulders trembling with nerves. "Thank you," he breathed, relieved.

Nico nodded, then hardened his gaze. "Just remember, dragon," he warned. "No funny business or I throw you off this horse."

Will grinned. "Deal."

He jumped up and joined Nico on the saddle, well-muscled arms wrapping around the knight's waist, and they were off, trotting out of town.

Moments before reaching the tree line of the unknown, Will burrowed his face in Nico's shoulder, exhaling deeply. His body was still trembling with anxiety. "Thank you," he breathed against Nico's shirt, gripping the fabric around the smaller man's waist tightly in both hands. Nico flushed and trained his eyes on the road ahead.

Nico knew that whatever lied ahead would be long, difficult, and just plain irritating just by the dragon's—Gwillym's, or Will's—shuddering sigh.

"Thank you, angel."

***End of Gwillym, Wyvern Arc***


	6. Ghost Arc (Part 1)

**_Part One of:_**** Ghost Arc**

"There's a poison spitter across the lake?" Nico asked, looking up at the dragon from the small dining table in the apartment they were currently staying in, rumpled newspaper in his hands forgotten. "Where'd you hear that?"

Will was bouncing on his heels with excitement, practically dancing around the room. "There's a rumor going around about the spitter hypnotizing random people and taking them home for eating!" The dragon sounded way too happy about the prospect. "A spitter! I've never seen a spitter before!"

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "You haven't? Just how old _are_ you?"

Will stuck his tongue out at the knight. "What are you trying to say, angel? I'm a full grown man!"

In truth, the dragon hadn't aged at all in the two years he and the knight had travelled together. So, while Nico filled out a little bit, just barely coming to the dragon's chin now, he just kept his same height, same build, and same irritating personality. And it ticked Nico off.

The black haired man snorted and turned back to his newspaper. "Physically, maybe…" _…but inside you'll always be a four year old._

It was as though the dragon had heard Nico's underlying message, because suddenly he was there, large doe eyes looking at him from where he was cuddling into Nico's side, chin propped up on the other man's shoulder.

Nico flashed Will a glare. If he had learned anything in the two years he and the dragon had been travelling together, it was that one shouldn't rile him up by blushing or stuttering or even getting angry about it. Otherwise, he'd get flirty and things would go to hell in a half second.

Because the dragon didn't just throw around winks and cute nicknames at the knight any more, no, he was becoming _forward_ with his flirting, often resorting to the physical contact he knew Nico hated. That was why he did it, the knight knew. Why else would he?

Nico forced himself not to answer that question. "So, what's this about a spitter?" Nico said, deftly changing the subject.

Will's eyes twinkled. "Across the lake," he murmured, hot breath tickling Nico's neck. He kept his gaze levelled with the dragon's despite there being only mere inches separating their faces. "Eleven victims, all vanishing without a trace."

"And you want to go see it, why?"

Will blinked. "I've never seen one before."

Nico narrowed his eyes.

"And we're running out of money?" Will added with a small smile. "The reward is ten hundred thousand pounds."

The knight's eyes blew wide. "So much?!"

Will nodded solemnly against Nico's shoulder. "Six of the victims were knights trying to kill him."

The smaller man sighed slowly, setting down his newspaper. "Alright, fine," he groaned, defeated. A lack of money was something he _could_ understand. "We can go see the spitter."

Will's smile was ginormous. "You make me _so_ happy, angel!" he cooed. He pecked Nico on the cheek appreciatively.

Nico snarled and swiped at the blond, only managing to topple from the chair when the dragon was suddenly on the other side of the room. "Dragon!" he ground out, getting to his feet.

Will's smile was easy-going. "Yes, dear?"

Nico grabbed for his sword, but found it wasn't tied to his belt as it would have been a year ago. The damned dragon made him go soft. "Come here so I can strangle you!"

The blond skipped away as Nico ran at him, dancing into the bedroom. He was laughing, merry. "I can't let you, angel! What would the neighbors think?"

"You're _dead_!"

They chased around for a good five minutes, a sleepy Mrs. O'Leary watching from the bed. They ran around the apartment—probably waking up the people around them, but they didn't seem to care, they were all probably used to their impromptu games of tag in the wee hours of the morning—until even Nico was breathlessly laughing. He staggered to a stop, panting and bracing his hands on his knees. He was _really_ out of shape.

Will wasn't even out of breath. "I win," he winked.

Nico coughed into the back of his hand. "Whatever." He plopped down on the edge of the bed and caught his breath. "When will we leave for across the lake?"

The dragon grinned like a child who got their birthday presents early. "How about as soon as we finish eating? Since the sun still hasn't risen, I can fly us all there before people can see us."

Nico frowned. They had never tried flying Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary before. "How long until the sun does rise?"

Will considered that for but a moment. "About three or four hours, roughly."

The lake was pretty large, so large that they couldn't even see the other side. It would probably take half an hour to fly over at the least. "We should get going soon," the knight reasoned, leaning his hands against the bed behind him.

Will sat down beside him, still grinning goofily at his win. "I suppose we should."

They sat in silence.

"I'm happy," Will murmured suddenly.

Nico glanced over.

The dragon nodded, eyes cast to the ceiling with a dreamy look on his face. "I've been happy, travelling with you. Not one moment of boredom. It…it makes me wonder, what would have become of me if I had stayed in my cave, those years ago?" Will's smile softened and he glanced over to the man beside him, blue meeting black. "Now _that_ would have been boring."

Nico rolled his eyes.

Will winked. "It's been fun, you know. Following you from town to city to forest. Smiting troublesome beasts and humans. Even just…_talking_. Not that you talk much, but you get what I mean, angel."

The other man's nose wrinkled. He still didn't like that nickname. "Hmph."

The dragon's tongue stuck out from the side of his mouth like a loon. "I love you too, angel."

Nico flinched. "W-We…I…" His cheeks dusted pink.

Will raised his eyebrows innocently. "Hmm?"

The knight shook his head and stood. "We should get going."

Will, now frowning, nodded without a word despite his questioning eyes. By the twitching of his lips, he was just barely holding himself back from blurting out a quiz for the smaller man. Nico was inwardly thanking the dragon for doing him such a small mercy. He didn't want an angry beast aggravated over the fact that he didn't 'love' him back.

At least, that's what Nico told himself.

He walked over to the dining room again, sitting in the chair where his newspaper was and picked at the remains of his meal. Whoever had taught the dragon how to cook had Nico's sympathy. He couldn't do it well _at all_, even though Nico still ate what he was given.

Will sat across from Nico as soon as he had everything packed and set beside the door. He braced his chin in his palm and regarded the almost untouched food in front of the knight with an air of disappointment. "You'll get all skinny again if you don't eat…" he whined.

Nico's eye twitched. "I am not getting fat for you, dragon. I _like_ to be small."

"There _is_ an appeal to that sort of thing, isn't there?" the dragon mused, just as seriously.

Nico turned pink.

Will chuckled, and winked. "Well, if you're done, how about we get going? The spitter awaits!"

The knight rolled his eyes in exasperation, exhaling slowly through his nose. "Of _all_ dragons to find me curious, I just had to get the overly powerful baby."

"Are we still going on about my age?" Will pouted, but couldn't hold it as his lips twitched back into a smile on their own. "If you must know, I'm an honorary member of the elder's council for a reason!"

"Oh?" Nico looked up. "The _elder's_ council, huh? Should I worry about pedophilia now?"

Will frowned. "Pedo…?"

Nico's eyebrows rose. "You don't know what that is? It's when someone really old has a sexual affection for someone too young for them."

Will blinked. "That's a thing?"

"Only for humans, I'm guessing. How old are you, really?"

The dragon stood, tapping his fingers against the edge of the chair as he formed his answer. "About…two thousand? Three? Time gets a bit blurred the older I get."

"I'm only twenty two."

Will's eyes glimmered. "Who's the baby now, angel?"

Nico's eyes narrowed to slits. "Who the baby is accounts to maturity, not how old we are. Remember, I'm human. You're a dragon. We both have really different age ranges. I'm probably already about a fourth into my life, and that's if I don't get killed."

Will blinked a few times, seeming surprised. "You guys really live _super_ short lives, don't you?" he mumbled, looking a bit forlorn. "That's sad."

The knight just rolled his eyes, also standing. "What were you hoping? That I'd be your amusement for a couple more centuries?"

The dragon moistened his lips, staying silent.

Nico sighed, slapping his hip to call for Mrs. O'Leary. "Let's get going, to the spitter," he suggested, keeping his eyes on the hound at his side.

Will nodded, spinning on his heel and going to the door, where their stuff was.

Nico followed without hesitation.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

Flying Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary over the lake was actually pretty simple, as long as Gwillym didn't accidentally jab the horse in the ribs and Nico didn't let go of his secure grip on the hound. They made it across in only fifteen or so minutes, with plenty of time to spare so they could get everything situated just outside of town to make it look like they were just riding in with the sunrise.

"When we get into town," Nico said, taking charge much to the chagrin of the dragon. "We'll split up to gather rumors. See if we can track the spitter down."

But Will wasn't going to let Nico take the entire spotlight this time around. "We'll meet up at a chosen rendezvous point around noon, preferably a campsite just outside town. How about here? We won't be able to afford another apartment or hotel room until we get this or some other job done."

Will sounded a bit down, but the knight didn't comment on it.

Nico nodded, only slightly upset at not being able to sleep in a bed. The lack of a nice place to sleep would toughen him up some, after years of pampering by the dragon in front of him. "Noon it is, then. I'll take Mrs. O'Leary, and you can take Blackjack. And for god's sake, dragon—put some clothes on!"

Will chuckled and pouted at the same time, resulting in a strange combination. But at least his mood lifted somewhat. "But I don't wanna, angel!"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "You'll never get information if you look like _that_."

Will huffed. "_Fine_." He changed his form until he was wearing a new crisp white button-up with a red vest over top. What was up with the guy and the color red?

Nico kept up his raised eyebrow. "Shoes?"

Will's pout intensified. "Do I _have_ to?"

"Yes, yes you do."

The blond put on ankle-high leather boots, and grimaced down at them. He shifted from foot to foot in extreme discomfort. "I hope you're happy," he muttered, sulking at Nico.

The knight smirked. "I am, actually. Thank you for noticing."

Will sniffed. "Jerk."

"Baby."

When no other cutesy nickname was mentioned, Nico grinned at his victory, and they travelled into town just as the sun peaked over the horizon.


	7. Ghost Arc (Part 2)

**_Part Two of:_**** Ghost Arc**

"So, what do you know about the poison spitter taking victims from this town?"

Nico was seated in a rickety old chair in front of an even older and more rickety table thinly disguised with a stained lacy tablecloth, leg thrown over the other and chin raised in a mask of superiority. Inside, though, the knight was very uncomfortable, tossing around excuses in his head to say when the dragon asked about the smell he would most likely have clinging to him when he returned.

It wasn't _his_ fault that he had to be taken to a whorehouse that reeked of alcohol and sex, just because the guy who claimed to know about the spitter was a drunkard with a liking for next-to-nude women.

Note to self: don't ask drunkards for information. You won't get very far. Especially if they have a prostitute clinging to their arm, giggling.

Nico exhaled sharply and fingered his sword's sheath for reassurance. If the idiot didn't cooperate, he could always use it. Make the guy piss himself.

Said drunkard blinked at him from over a glass of beer as though noticing him for the first time. "Th' spitt'r, eh?" He was missing teeth, Nico noticed with disgust, others stained yellow and even black.

The knight gritted his teeth. "Yes. What do you know about it?"

The man gestured vaguely. "Well, fer one, it's taken…err…five victims? Ten? An' it always takes dem from shady places!"

_Like this one?_ Nico mused, grip tightening on his sword grip.

"Awwww," a female voice purred into his ear seductively, a warm body pressing intimately into his side, keeping him out of reach of his sword. "Why are you so angry, sweety? You know weapons aren't allowed here! Now, if it were a different type of sword…" The voice giggled.

Nico glanced up and saw huge breasts, right in front of his face, just barely held in by thin, see-through fabric. The knight swallowed back something sour.

"Let me go, or you'll get steel up your arse," Nico ground out as threateningly as he could.

"Oooooh~" the prostitute giggled, mushing his face between giant lumps of flesh. "A violent one, aren't you? Well, darling, I hope you won't go back on your promise, because I'd love to feel that blade deep inside me."

Nico gagged and struggled. "Dammit, you bitch! Let me _go_!"

But the woman was a lot stronger than she looked, and refused to ease up. It took all of Nico's strength to push her back to even _breathe_.

_Yep, it's official_, Nico thought, aggravated. _That idiot dragon has softened me up_ too_ much._

Nico thrust her off of him, gasping for breath. "_Dammit_!" he shouted, leaping to his feet and glaring down at the shocked prostitute. He swiveled his head around to glare at the drunkard, whose own prostitute was looking at Nico strangely. His cheeks burned savagely. "I'll find you tomorrow," the knight spat, jabbing a finger at the man. The guy yelped and complained loudly. "When you're _sober_."

He left the whorehouse as quickly as he could without running, everyone who wasn't wasted staring at him as he went.

He found the campsite even in his haze of anger and embarrassment, hand fanning his face all the way and Mrs. O'Leary trailing along behind him, watching him with worry. The camp was empty when he arrived, probably because he came about two or three hours too early.

With a sharp sigh, Nico plopped down on the hard ground, slouching with his sheathed sword in his arms like a child's toy. He was overly flustered by what had happened, cheeks still burning despite his earlier attempts at cooling them, and his face was probably going to be permanently disgusted for the rest of his life.

With a gag at remembering the bitch, Nico burrowed his head in his arms, growling curses at the drunkard responsible for taking him there in the first place.

Why did Will have to make him so curious about the spitter just because he himself hadn't seen one before? If Nico had been the man he used to be two years ago, he wouldn't have even agreed, knowing what was easy pickings and what was out of his league. He had never faced a spitter before, didn't even know the first things about _killing _one, either! In other words, what were the chances of him even _surviving_ the encounter?

Damn overly strong and powerful dragon always keeping him safe.

"Angel?"

Ah. Speak of the devil.

Nico glanced up from over his arms at Will. The blond looked concerned for Nico, and even more so after he got a glimpse of the knight's face. "You look like you're about to puke," he said simply, frowning. "I take it things didn't go in your favor?"

He just groaned in response and hid his face again.

Will chuckled, sitting beside the smaller man.

"You smell like alcohol and sex, too," he said flippantly, sounding like he was grinning. "Did you have fun?"

Nico growled wordlessly.

Will laughed again. "Don't worry, angel." He covered a hand over one of Nico's. The blond was risking getting his fingers bit off, but Nico let him get away with it for the time being. "I can tell by the smell you didn't drink _or_ have sex. I'm certain your smell would be a lot nicer than what clings to your clothes, anywho."

"Watch it, dragon," Nico snapped, weak from embarrassment.

Will's hand trailed up to play with the knight's hair. "But you have a nice smell," he whined as his argument.

Nico's head emerged from under his arms, eyes snapping over to glare at the blond. "Dragon."

Will made a popping sound with his mouth, smiling down at the smaller man. He continued to play with Nico's hair even with the glaring. "What happened?"

Upset, Nico sighed. "There was a guy who claimed to know about the spitter, and he took me to this shady place in some alley. One of the prostitutes tried to get at me. Put my head between her breasts. So I threw her down and left."

Will's fingers were rather soothing against his scalp. "Got what she deserved, hm?"

"Shut up, dragon."

Humming, said dragon wrapped the man up in his arms and sat his chin atop a mess of black hair. "I will if you'll let me hold you like this for a little while."

"Define 'little while'."

Their words faded to silence, and Nico found himself leaning into Will as the minutes ticked into hours. They ate, idly chatted, but in the end Will would go right back with his arms around the knight, calming words whispered into Nico's ear. The smaller male all but forgot about the issue with the whorehouse, content to just listen to the dragon's breathing and blink sleepily as the sun dipped down the horizon.

"So much for getting anything done," Will laughed once he'd noticed the sun setting.

"There's always tomorrow," Nico exhaled, shaking his head to keep from falling asleep.

Will's breath was warm against the top of Nico's head. "I guess that's true."

Nico looked up as best he could at the tone the dragon was using. "Is something on your mind?" he wondered, yawning as an afterthought. Damn warm dragon making him soft and comfortable even against the hard ground. Damn him to hell.

Will grunted at his question. "Maybe."

Nico shifted, wanting to see the dragon's expression, but Will held him fast. "Dragon?" he said in a questioning voice.

The blond nuzzled against Nico's head, burrowing his nose in the hair there. "I was… I was thinking about what you said earlier. About our ages."

Nico stilled. "What about it?"

Will shook his head. "No. Nothing."

Huffing, the knight pushed the dragon away until he could see his expression in the dying light. He knew they would have to start a fire soon, but neither of them seemed to care enough to cut off the conversation to do it. "Dragon?"

Will looked away, his normally bright enthusiastic blue eyes clouded with something sad. "I've been alone for a long time," he murmured, almost to himself.

Silence radiated off of the blond, and Nico was almost tempted to leave him to his thoughts. Almost. "What sort of 'alone'? You had livestock when we first met…"

Looking at the knight, the dragon tried for a smile. "Friends. I had them, centuries ago. Two very good ones, too. Cecil and Lou Ellen were their human names." Will fidgeted with a stray thread in his shirt, biting his lip. "And lovers… I've certainly had _partners_, mind you, but I have no idea if I'd call them 'lovers' nowadays." Will glanced up through his eyelashes. "Have _you_ ever had a lover, or a partner, angel?"

Now it was Nico who was fidgeting and looking away. "Erm… A partner or two, maybe… No lovers."

The dragon and human had become _too_ close over the years, if the knight was guilty over the fact that he'd had partners and even admitted to having them. It wasn't as though he'd had _sex_ with them, after all! It was back when he was sexually confused and didn't allow himself to get into anything he was uncomfortable with!

But that didn't stop his heart from twisting in shame.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Will's response or that the blond was looking at him in confusion. "Nico?"

Said man jolted and met Will's eyes immediately. "Yes?"

Will looked amused, but only slightly so around his earlier sadness. "Well, I was just trying to get your attention, but my response wasn't all that important anyway…" He blinked his blue eyes that practically glowed in the dark owlishly. "Can I sleep with you tonight, holding you like before?"

Nico halfheartedly bared his teeth at the dragon. "You're getting too touchy-feely lately, dragon."

But Will put on his I'm-a-cute-little-kicked-puppy-and-I-need-your-comfort look and melted through all of Nico's resolve. With a deep, chest-rumbling sigh, the knight allowed the blond to wrap him up in his arms and slide sideways into the nest of furs and leather that Will always put for his bed.

"Spoiled baby," Nico muttered under his breath, a fistful of Will's vest in his hand.

Will's laugh was loud with Nico's head nestled under his chin as it was, sounding deeper than normal because of it. "Go to sleep, angel. You can tease me all you'd like in the morning."

The knight _hmph_ed, but closed his eyes.

And as soon as he was asleep, the nightmares began.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_WHY._

_._

_._

_._

_WHY DID YOU KILL ME?_

Nico woke with a shuddering gasp, bolting upright and managing to surprise Will from where he was cooking a rabbit he must have caught a short while ago.

"Angel?" he wondered, eyes wide and glinting amber in the firelight.

Calming down after a few moments of realizing that it had only been a dream, Nico slumped back down into the still-warm nest. Then he felt the prelude to tears stinging the back of his eyes, because at one point many years ago that _wasn't_ a dream.

Will was suddenly kneeling beside him, hands braced on either side of Nico's head. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah," Nico muttered, not finding it in himself to lie to the dragon when he had obviously woken up from one. He kept his eyes pointedly away from the worried blond's face. "I'm okay now, though. I'm used to it."

Will's eyebrows furrowed. "You've never shown signs of having nightmares before…"

Nico blinked. "Yeah, well." He sighed and sat up, careful not to bump his head with the dragon's. "I'm usually good at concealing it. I guess this one caught me off guard somehow."

Will's frown deepened. "Do you want me to help? I can cast a good-dream charm that would—"

"No, thank you," Nico cut him off, crossing his legs in the nest. "Now go tend to breakfast before it burns."

The dragon jumped at being reminded of the slow-roasting rabbit above the fire, scrambling over to the pit to turn it and make sure it hadn't been burnt while he was away. With his back turned, Nico rolled his eyes. Damn dragon.

And why was that phrase becoming _endearing_? Nico had to do something to quit that before he got way in over his head or something.

His thoughts flashed to his dream, and he shook his head.

_Never again._

"Nico?" Will said from over his shoulder. "It's about ready. Get the plates and wake up Mrs. O'Leary? I've skinned a second one just for her."

The knight was glad for the excuse to do something. _Anything_ to get his mind off of his current line of thoughts. He went to work immediately, gently nudging his hound where she was sleeping on his other side, opposite of where Will had slept last night. She grumbled as she woke, but got up and stretched without complaint, heading over to Blackjack to do the same for him.

Nico felt bad for the horse, knowing they wouldn't be able to afford any more feed for him until they got more money.

_That's what the spitter's for, idiot_, he scolded himself a moment later. He supposed he had gotten all set for pleasing the dragon currently busy cutting off even pieces of meat onto their plates that he had forgotten about the _ten hundred thousand pound_ reward for the spitter's head.

He was already way in over his head, wasn't he?

Nico sighed and sat down in the nest again, gratefully accepting the meat offered to him. Will plopped down next to him and nibbled on a leg.

"Not much, but it'll be enough to tide us over," Will mused as lightheartedly as he could.

Nico felt an odd sense of familiarity at the phrase, but shook it off as unimportant. He took a bite into his rabbit and rolled his eyes. Cardboard. Of course.

"So, we'll do the same as yesterday?" Nico murmured. "Go into town at dawn and come back at noon?"

Will glanced over his rabbit at Nico, blinked a couple times, and nodded. "Sounds reasonable. If nothing about the spitter is found we can come up with a new strategy for tomorrow."

Nico nodded back. "Good idea."

They polished off their rabbit in comfortable, easy silence only granted through two years of being companions. It was by far a lot better than the awkward ones they'd shared in their first weeks together.

"Alright." Will stood to set the plate with the rest of the dirty dishes, taking Nico's with it and throwing the bones to Mrs. O'Leary. "We'll go into town without Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack this time around, just so we don't get horse-or-hound-snatched. You two can stay out here and enjoy yourselves, you hear?" he told them outright, giving them pointed looks. "Eat your fill of whatever you can find and keep each other safe, alright?"

Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary gave affirmative noises, and the men left them to their own devices. The animals were most likely safer together than apart, anyway—or so said the dragon.

Nico just rolled his eyes and went along with it, in reality.

When the sun came up, Nico and Will went their separate ways for the second time in a row, and Nico knew just where he was going this time.

Just as he stepped into the whorehouse with the full intention of asking the manager where the drunkard—Dakota, he vaguely remembered—was he was spotted and crowded by the same pair of breasts from before.

"What the hell, bitch?!" Nico hissed, pushing her away. "What the fuck is wrong with you and—"

"You broke it."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed, but whether of confusion or anger he didn't know for sure. "_What_?"

Her eyes, which Nico noticed for the first time, pulsed wickedly, a poisonous red-purple not unlike the skimpy dress she was wearing that day. "You broke my love spell."

Some kind of smoke puffed in front of Nico's face, and he breathed in the smell of citrus—

His vision went black, and he felt the sensation of falling before being dragged into a dreamless sleep.

A deep throaty chuckle was the last thing he heard.


	8. Ghost Arc (Part 3)

**_Part Three of:_**** Ghost Arc**

Gwillym should have known something was wrong the moment he returned to camp an hour late, Nico nowhere to be seen. But it was Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack's skittishness that tipped him off.

_"There's something wrong with him!" _Blackjack whinnied to the dragon insistently, stamping his hoof and rearing his head in panic. _"The boss always returned for lunch, and so did Nico! And it's afternoon already!"_

Gwillym narrowed his eyes at the mentioning of Blackjack's former owner. He'd gotten to know plenty about him in the two years travelling with Nico, the horse and the hound. They never seemed to stop talking about him, even while Nico claimed to never do such a thing.

They talked less about the famed "war hero" as time went on and the dragon got more flirtatious with the knight, much to Gwillym's relief. But it hadn't stopped completely.

_"Blackjack is right," _Mrs. O'Leary hummed, pacing circles in the nest of furs where she had slept with the two men the night before. She was always the smart one of the travelers, and kept a level head even in the worst situations possible. And yet even she was panicking, a fact that made the dragon even more worried for his angel. _"Even with all of his complaining of eating too much, the boy never skips a meal unless he has absolutely no choice but to do so. Something's happened to him."_

Gwillym frowned. "I'll go back into town and try to find where he went, then." _Hopefully I won't have to resort to my true form so I can tract his scent. The last thing these townsmen need is another dragon in their ranks._

Mrs. O'Leary hopped out of the nest. _"We'll come with you."_

With a relieved sigh, the dragon nodded. He'd somehow forgotten that Nico's hound and stallion would be able to track the knight's scent just as easily as the blond's dragon form. "I'll gather everything and put it on your back, Blackjack. Is that okay? We'll have to be ready if we need a quick escape."

Blackjack nodded his head. _"Sure thing, boss-man."_

A few adrenaline-fueled minutes later, Gwillym had everything packed up and strapped to Blackjack. He jumped up onto the stallion's back, and they were off galloping into town with Mrs. O'Leary in the lead.

They found the whorehouse without issue.

Gwillym jumped off and told Blackjack to stay in the area. Then, after exchanging glances with the hound at his feet, the two walked inside.

"Hello!" the manager called out, waving from his place across a counter. "You new around here?"

Gwillym put on his best bachelor's smile and walked up to the man. "I am, yes."

The manager clapped his hands as though pleased with the thought. "Ah! That's wonderful, sir! So, what can we do for you? I could get you some drinks and a nice lady. Or, if you'd prefer something more private—"

"Actually," the dragon interrupted, holding up a hand to stop the man from continuing. "I would greatly appreciate it if you'd direct me to where my friend went? He's about…ah…" He held up a hand to his shoulders. "This high with messy black hair and olive skin? I'm afraid he's up and disappeared on me."

The manager's eyes went blank. "I haven't seen him."

Gwillym narrowed his eyes, anger heating up in his stomach as though he was in his dragon form already and preparing to spew flames at the bastard. "He told me _explicitly_ that he was coming here to talk to someone. Now, unless he was kidnapped _before_ then, my good sir, which I _highly_ doubt as he would've had his sword handy in the middle of a street, that would mean you're _lying_ to me. And I don't take liars lightly, sir, nor do I offer them mercy. So you'd best start talking."

A couple of burly men appeared in the edges of Gwillym's vision, but he cared not. He was still focused on the manager, who was struggling to remain his calm and collected self.

"Sir, I will not repeat myself when I say I do not know who you speak of," he said coldly. "If you are not here for anything else, might I suggest walking out before my men have to throw you out? There's an easy way and a hard way to this situation."

Gwillym chuckled darkly. "Indeed, there is." He lowered his head to Mrs. O'Leary and spoke softly to her in dragontongue. _"Track the scent, dear. Find him."_

The hound nodded soundlessly and bounded off.

The manager screeched. "And no animals, either! Men, take him _out_! And get his filthy mutt!"

The dragon felt two rough hands grab his arms from behind, and he chuckled again. "You do not realize just _who_ you've angered by not answering me," he sang.

With a jerk of the body, the burly man that had grabbed him flew across the room and into a table, getting knocked unconscious in the process. Everyone in the room went dead silent, staring wide-eyed at him.

Gwillym grinned evilly, crossing his arms. "Alright, _sir_," he crooned, baring his teeth playfully. "Let's talk."

**~ΨΩΨ~**

Upon waking, Nico realized a few things:

One, something smelled _awful_.

Two, he was in another cave with strange lighting, exactly like Gwillym's if his had had green and purple tinged bulbs of light floating aimlessly around the cavern. Otherwise, exactly the same. Even the giant mountain of treasure.

And finally, it wasn't exactly like Gwillym's. Because, if Nico remembered correctly, that air-head dragon didn't have fucking_ chains _on the walls and _corpses_ hanging_ everywhere_.

Nico gritted his teeth and tried to control his breathing. Hopefully, he was just in some evil witch's lair and _not_ in the tunnels of the fabled poison spitting dragon. _But, _the man mused, _I've always had rotten luck. It's probably a witch _and_ the spitter._

Someone clapped their hands together to the side, making the knight flinch and rattle the chains around his wrists. He cursed under his breath.

Thankfully, whatever-it-was didn't seem to notice. "Isabel!" a masculine voice shouted. Nico could just barely see a human's figure from the corner of his eye, working on something in some suspicious-looking cauldron. "Where are the mountain elderberries?! You know I can't brew dinner for myself without my red elderberries! And the toadstool! Where'd you put the toadstool?"

"I didn't hide them from you! They're in the cabinet under the diadem of Artemis, Pholos!"

Nico froze. It was the voice of that woman from the whorehouse!

"Ah! Good woman!" Something flashed red as it was thrown into the giant pot. "Soon we can skin the man who broke your lovely spell and cook him in the cauldron!"

Isabel cackled merrily. "My, that sounds positively _marvelous_, baby!"

Pholos laughed with her, stirring the contents of the boiling liquid. "Go and check on him, would you, dear? I have an inkling he's to wake at any moment now! I cannot wait to hear him _scream_ in agony."

"Of course, darling~" Nico shut his eyes as he heard the tapping of feet scattering coins and jewels, growing closer to where he was strung up by his hands.

Playing possum was easy after two years of travelling with Will. While the dragon was an early waker, tending to rise with the sun, Nico was one to sleep well into the afternoon. He'd saved himself hours of extra sleep several times while pretending not to wake at the blond's insistence. In his opinion, he was a master at it.

But he had to admit it was difficult to pretend to be asleep with a prostitute as close to him as she was.

And then she threw powder smelling oddly of ginger in his face. He sneezed.

"He's awake now!" Isabel called sweetly.

"Wonderful! Switch me places so I can talk to him!"

They did so giggling and with noises way too provocative for Nico's tastes. He opened his eyes and glared at the ground.

"Hey, pretty man," Pholos purred, standing right in the knight's face and roughly grabbing his chin to force him to look up. The guy's skin was startlingly purple, and he had multiple piercings all over his face and naked chest. But strangest of all was the bright blue tattoo of some sort of symbol that emitted its own light. "I have a few questions to ask you, if you'd be so kind as to amuse me."

Nico narrowed his eyes.

Pholos winked a cat eye with a green iris and yellow whites. He braced his hands on either side of the knight's head and leaned forward, pungent breath making the human's nose wrinkle up. "I'll start it easy for you, how about that? What's your name?"

Nico huffed and turned his head away.

The purple man raised an eyebrow. "Silent treatment, is that it? Well, boy. Live it up while you can, but remember that I can make you writhe and cry in pain with just a touch."

The knight glanced at Pholos. "Poison spitter," he guessed in an emotionless, dead voice.

The man chuckled. "In the flesh, love."

Nico regarded him for a few more moments, before the spitter reminded him about the imminent demise he would be facing shortly, even shorter if he didn't answer the questions offered to him. So, begrudgingly, he decided to humor the spitter. "My name is Angelo," he murmured slowly, as though reluctant. "My friends call me Angel."

"Angel." Pholos licked his lips as though tasting the name. "Such an enticing name, isn't it? So pretty. So _fitting_ of the body it was given to." Nico held back a shiver as the spitter looked over his body, which was completely naked save for his pants now that he noticed, and just kept his eyes leveled on Pholos. The spitter's mouth quirked up into a crooked smile. "Alright then, Angel. Time for a harder question. Would you mind telling me how you broke my irresistible Isabel's love spell?"

Nico pulled a Will by morphing his face until he looked completely innocent and confused, blinking owlishly at Pholos. "I'm homosexual?" he wondered in a questioning voice, tilting his head at the spitter.

Pholos's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Not bi at all, then?"

The knight frowned mock-thoughtfully. "There was this one time where I had a crush on someone I thought was a guy but was actually a girl. Does that count?"

Thank the lord of dragons that Will taught Nico how to be a master manipulator. Pholos threw his head back and laughed up at the ceiling, drawing his hands away from Nico's face to hold his sides as his body quaked. "Oh, dear!" he cried, wiping away a glowing blue tear. "That's precious, it is."

Nico smiled sweetly. "It is?"

Pholos winked at him. "Quite so, quite so. Now, really. That's gotten me quite curious about you. Are you a virgin?"

Nico cringed a bit inside. Outside, he flushed and looked away, embarrassed. "Is it _that_ obvious?" he whined.

Will had taught him well, after all.

Pholos made an appreciative noise in the back of his throat, eyes misting over with lust. "Now isn't that just _precious_. I might just have to take advantage of such a sweet, innocent morsel. Who knew men still came like this?" He trailed a light finger down Nico's cheekbone. The touch burned slightly.

The knight held still, blinking at the spitter. "Morsel?" he whimpered pitifully. "Am I going to be eaten?"

Pholos chuckled lightly. "Oh, I'm thinking of eating you up in a different way than originally planned, Angel. My sweet little morsel." He turned his head to bark at the prostitute. "Isabel! You can stop stirring, babe! I have new plans for this one that don't involve dinner!"

"What about the soup, then, Pholos?" she called back, seeming confused.

The spitter turned his attention back to Nico. "It can wait for a different victim~!"

Nico giggled. _Please dear god Will please get here within the next two seconds or something so I don't have to play a fucking slut for this purple dragon-man who's about to take my first time and dear god I'm so humiliated right now he's making me act like a fucking twelve year old masturbating himself for the first time and what the hell does this mean what will I have to do after this happens and what if Will doesn't get here in time oh fuck oh fuck _Will get here right now he's putting his hand—

"_GET AWAY FROM HIM_!"

Pholos yanked his hand out of Nico's pants and whirled around just in time to take a golden vase to the face. He crumpled to the ground with a yowl.

Will stood there in all of his messy blond haired glory, panting as though he'd just ran ten miles without a break. At his side was Mrs. O'Leary, also panting heavily, but growling all the same with bared teeth. Nico found himself sagging in relief against his bonds, smiling even wider than before.

"Pholos!" Isabel cried from the cauldron, dashing over to her fallen partner.

The spitter stood up, grasping his face. Though Nico could only see the guy's ugly purple back, he could figure that his nose was broken and bleeding that same blue color as his tattoo.

"Bastard!" the spitter spat, flinging his bloodied hand to the side, where blood hit the treasure at his feet. It hissed and smoked, melting on contact. "Who the hell do you think you are, trespassing on my territory! And interrupting serious business, might I add!"

Nico grimaced while Pholos wasn't looking, but turned innocently confused the moment he glanced over his shoulder at the chained knight. "Is something wrong?" he wondered quietly, eyes wide.

Pholos softened considerably, smirking at the smaller man. "No, nothing's the matter, Angel. Just some idiot trying to claim your beauty for himself."

Nico tilted his head to peek around the spitter's shoulder to meet eyes with Will, who had his eyebrows furrowed as he caught his breath. "Is he another spitter?" he asked dumbly, making Will's eyes go wide for an instant and dart to Pholos. He caught the underlying message perfectly, and steeled his face into a perfect acting mask.

"Angel, my beautiful damsel," Will called out, holding a hand to his chest. "The fairest of the land! Why do you stand so intimately with a man that is not myself? Why do you let yourself be so willingly chained in his grasp so that he may steal your innocence? Darling, don't you remember me? Or have you forgotten me under the spell of this wretched man's lust?"

The knight looked back to the spitter, who was looking at the dragon in confusion. "So he isn't a spitter, Pholos?" he asked, frowning. "He makes strange words. What do they mean?"

"Ah, but the horror!" Will continued, interrupting any response Pholos had planned. He pointed an accusing finger toward Isabel, who had just been standing there gapping at what was happening, cut off from running towards Pholos and now just standing in the middle of treasure. "The wretched man who has stolen your heart has cheated you for a woman! A _woman_! As though any female could outdo you in any way, my angel!"

Nico's eyes went wide and prickled with fake tears, eyes looking towards the prostitute with dismay etched into his face. "Oh, Pholos! Say it isn't so! Say you haven't stolen my love just out of lust! Say you don't love a woman more than you love me!"

"SILENCE!" Pholos roared, making Nico dissolve into a puddle of fake bawling. "I will have no more of you until _after_ I've dealt with this pest, you hear me?! Now be quiet while I kill him!"

Nico sniveled, but quieted obediently.

"Now!" Pholos turned on Will. "Who are you, trespasser?"

Will huffed. "I thought I made that clear! I'm Angel's lover!"

The spitter didn't seem amused. "Give me your name, scum! Then I'll cook you in my cauldron for dinner!"

"I am Gwillym son of Apollus!" the dragon roared right back, patience seeming to snap like a twig. Nico had never seen him get angry so quickly. "Hero of Olympia during the war between human, demigod and dragonfolk a millennia ago! Honorary member of the elder's council! And I am _in love with the man you've chained to your wall, dammit_!"

With another timely roar, Will morphed into his dragon form, roar turning deafening and overwhelmingly _furious_.

"Now GIVE HIM _BACK_!"


	9. Ghost Arc (Conclusion)

**_Conclusion of:_**** Ghost Arc**

Nico rattled his chains, straining against his bonds while the attention wasn't directed at him.

He wasn't worried about Gwillym, even when the spitter transformed into his own dragon form and started spitting acid at the fire-breather. After all, Nico knew his travelling companion well enough to realize the strength he possessed.

The mountain of treasure became a sea of molten precious metals under the heat of poison and fire, but that didn't seem to slow the two massive beings one moment. Gwillym was large enough to just sink to the bottom of the mountain and still only be knee-deep. Pholos, while smaller, was lithe enough to hang off of the walls and ceiling of his cavern and dart everywhere at once. It was his territory, after all. And by luck spitters apparently couldn't just spray acid willy-nilly, or else the fire-breather would have actually been in some trouble.

Nico wasn't finding any sort of way out of the chains keeping him against the wall. They were bolted—melted, really—to the surface. They were probably also enchanted with magic or some sort of witchcraft to keep him from getting loose.

The knight gritted his teeth and just told himself to wait it out. Gwillym was absolutely livid, after all, so the fight couldn't last much longer. Over the two years of Nico being able to watch him fight, he found the dragon like a cat toying with its prey—he never got entirely serious unless he felt something was threatening his other companions, in which he would deal with the problem swiftly and without hesitation. This seemed to be one of those moments.

Even then, Nico had never seen the dragon so enraged.

Attempting to calm his breathing, Nico sagged against his restraints. His arms were starting to go numb from being held above his head for so long, and his back ached. All he wanted was to _get out_.

But it seemed that Gwillym and Pholos were evenly matched as the minutes wound on, and Nico's arms were most definitely numb by that time. He shifted uncomfortably at his position, glad that he had acted when he did and made sure the spitter would pay extra attention not to spray acid in his direction.

Suddenly, the dragons halted and just stared each other down, one just about swimming in gold and the other handing upside down by the tail.

Pholos chuckled. _"My, my. I suppose you weren't exaggerating when you said all those things about being a war hero. Gwillym son of Apollus, was it? I'll have to remember that."_

Gwillym growled low in his throat, his back turned to Nico. His neck was hunched in an aggressive position, one that males usually had during mating season when fighting for the attention of—_no, don't you dare finish that thought, Nico,_ the knight scolded himself. _He's a three thousand year old bachelor, you daft idiot._

The spitter chuckled again, cocking his head at the dragon below him. "Protective one, aren't you?" he rumbled in amusement. _"Too bad you haven't claimed him for yourself before this, Gwillym son of Apollus. You know the laws concerning mates. He's fair game."_

Gwillym sneered and bared his fangs at Pholos. He looked about ready to spew flames again. _"He is mine and no one else's, spitter! You'll pay for even laying a finger on him!"_

_"Now, now!"_ Pholos grinned, which looked strange on a dragon. _"I've heard of a dragon protective of his treasure, but this is overdoing it!"_

Nico went rigid. _Treasure? _Him_?_

Gwillym just growled again, wordlessly. If he had been on solid ground, he would have been pawing the ground like he did whenever he was ready to charge.

_"No response?"_ Pholos wondered, parting his jaws slightly. Nico tensed, knowing the spitter was preparing to continue the fight. _"You're not going to argue? So all of your so-called 'love' for him, it's like the love for your hoard? For riches?"_

_"Hardly,"_ Gwillym hissed. _"Unlike you, bastard, I've known him for _years_ now. I gave up my hoard and riches for the chance to travel alongside him. And, compared to what you were just doing, I have never attempted taking him on a whim! My love for him is _greater_ than that for my treasures! In fact, he _is_ my treasure! And I'm here to get him back!"_

They blew fire and poison in unison, and leapt out of the way before the other's could hit them. Gwillym opened his wings to their full extent, threw his head back and roared. The lights floating around them flickered unsettlingly, and flashed white for an instant.

With a thundering _BOOM_, a red light arched towards Gwillym and slammed into his side, throwing him off balance and into the molten sea. He snarled upon catching himself, snapping his head towards the perpetrator—who was Isabel, the forgotten prostitute—and ended up with a mouthful of acid on his wing. His angered noise turned into a screech of pain.

Nico snapped his head toward Isabel, eyes narrowed, but Gwillym beat him to the punch. _"What the hell, witch!" _he bit out, shaking his wing wildly to rid himself the acid. _"This isn't your fight! Don't you realize what he's wanting here?! He's trying to claim Angel as his mate!"_

Isabel held her hands out in front of her, trembling only slightly. "I know that," she griped. "But it's not like I haven't done the same, beast. And I love him! I'd do anything for him, even if it means allowing him another mate! Now die, fire-breather!"

_"Good woman!"_ Pholos cried, swishing his tail and spraying another bunch of acid at Gwillym, who managed to dodge it that time. _"We'll get him at both ends! And just think—with a second mate, we can have amazing threesomes!"_

Nico wrinkled his nose, not even trying to keep up his innocent act as he struggled against his bonds. "Fucking _stop it_!" he shouted out, panicking. Gwillym was getting hammered now that Pholos had an advantage. "Don't hurt him! Don't hurt Will! _Will_!"

_I have to do something! But what can I do? I'm chained up without any weapons!_

His mind flashed back to his dream, but he shook his head roughly, grimacing. _No, I can't do that! It would kill him!_

_He'll be dead soon anyway,_ a sly little voice in the back of Nico's mind pointed out. As though agreeing with it, Gwillym fell into the sea again with a shriek, wings flapping as his head disappeared temporarily into the treasure lava. A drop of the hot liquid splattered onto Nico's pants leg. _Why not use it to get rid of the ones about to kill him too? If not, you'll end up just like that prostitute. A slut._

Nico growled under his breath, watching fearfully as Gwillym struggled to get up time and time again, minutes becoming hours of torture for the beast.

_Will. No, Will,_ he begged, straining against the chains. _Get up! Please, do something! Don't make me use it! Don't make me—_

_"NICO!" _Gwillym cried out, shaking his muzzle free of dribbling gold. He was glancing over his shoulder at the knight, blue eye smoldering with emotion. _"I'll do everything in my power to free you! So calm down! I have this."_

_But you don't,_ the sly voice said. It cackled. _Boy, there are only two options here. Let him die and submit yourself to Pholos, or kill them all! Go ahead, choose!_

Nico let loose a guttural scream, arching his back from the wall.

_Yes,_ the voice purred. _There's only _one_ choice, now isn't there?_

_Submit. To. _ME_._

Power flooded Nico's body, strength that had lain dormant within him now springing up at the call of its master. His eyes snapped open wide.

_WHY._

He straightened, standing fully. The chains fell from him as though he weren't even there, a mere mirage.

_WHY DID YOU KILL ME?_

A ghost of a man.

_WHY SUBMIT TO THAT LUST INSIDE OF YOU?_

A powerful man.

_WHY DID YOU BREAK YOUR PROMISE?_

A broken man.

_WHY DID YOU KILL ME—_

A weak, pitiful shell of a happy boy who loved his sister with all of his heart.

_BROTHER_

With a body-wracking shudder, Nico went slack, shoulders slumping.

_Bianca,_ he whimpered. He closed his eyes, feeling the power surging within him settle over his form like a second skin. _Bianca, I'm sorry. I know I promised never to use this again, but…_

Nico opened his eyes and gazed at the fighting dragons. They didn't seem to notice his sudden freedom, too absorbed with each other and the witch fighting from the sidelines.

The witch.

The knight turned his gaze to Isabel, who also didn't realize something was amiss.

Calming his breathing, Nico willed his form to turn invisible. The power inside him curled into him, happy to be of use. When he lifted a hand—which was now bloodied at the wrist due to struggling against the cuffs beforehand—it flickered, then blinked out of existence. And yet he could still feel it, still grip it into a fist.

_Wait for me, Will_, he urged internally, practically floating over to where the witch was standing. _Let me just even the playing field a bit…_

But it was at that moment Isabel glanced over to where Nico should have been chained up, and noticed that he wasn't there anymore. "Pholos!" she cried out in shock, shooting a bolt of magic from her fingertips at Gwillym. "The man, he's gone!"

Pholos's head swiveled to the chains, and his eyes popped wide open. _"Impossible! You did seal the chains, didn't you?!"_

"I did!" she yelled back, looking around like a cornered prey animal. "I don't know where he went! He's just up and vanished like—"

"A ghost?" Nico murmured into her ear, chuckling under his breath when she yelped and scrambled away.

"_I heard him_!" she screamed, holding her hands over her ears as though his voice had inflicted a wound. "He's using some sort of sorcery!"

_"What?!"_

Pholos seemed to forget about the nearly defeated fire-breather in an instant, crawling down the wall toward the woman. He was sniffing the air, looking befuddled and slightly wary. Gwillym, however, looked plain stunned. He blinked at nothing with dazed eyes.

Cringing at the weakened state of his companion, Nico raised an open hand towards the spitter. He snapped it closed, and the lights went dead.

Blinking, Nico's vision adjusted to the sudden blackness. Every surface was tinged blue, whereas the living beings were colored pale orange, lavender, and pink. He edged towards the panicking Isabel with a hand readied to strike.

_"Nico?"_ Gwillym's voice called out. _"Nico, is that you?"_

_"Isabel!"_ Pholos cried out in fear. _"Are you alright Isabel?! What happened to the lights?"_

Nico snapped his fingers and turned the lights back on, becoming visible with it. Isabel coughed wetly, and fell to the ground, Nico's other hand where her chest had been. Red liquid dripped from his fingertips.

_"Isabel!"_ Pholos cried out, dropping down next to her fallen body. Nico jumped back to avoid getting a barbed tail to the face. _"Isabel, wake up! Wake up! Please! No, you can't leave me!"_ His eyes snapped up to Nico, who just stood there while watching emotionlessly. _"YOU KILLED ISABEL!"_ he screeched, outraged. His eyes burned venomously. _"YOU KILLED HER!"_

"A mate for a mate," Nico murmured. "Isn't that fitting? You were out to kill mine, but I got yours instead?"

_"BITCH!"_

Nico vanished and sank into the shadows, reappearing near where Gwillym lay. "I don't appreciate being underestimated," Nico droned. "Nor do I appreciate being made a fool of. So, you'll pay. You'll pay for even laying a claw on him."

Nico's mouth twitched at his joke, remembering a similar statement made by Will himself earlier into the fight.

But now, the tide was turned. Now it was _Nico_ protecting _Will_.

Gwillym coughed his lungs free of molten treasure, struggling to get upright. The sea was beginning to cool from the lack of fire and poison keeping it liquid, and the dragon was going to get stuck in it if he didn't get out soon. _"Nico?"_

Nico stayed silent, focused on the spitter, who was crawling towards him with a burning look in his eyes.

_"_I'll_ pay?"_ he growled, parting his jaws in preparation to attack. _"You, sorcerer, are nothing but scum in the eyes of dragonkind! And I will rid your pitiful existence from this Earth!"_

He spat acid at the knight, but Nico just stood still and let it pass through him like he wasn't there.

"Existence, hm?" Nico mused, tilting his head slightly. "I wonder how much of my existence is still here after what happened the first time I used this power… Oh, well, not like it matters! As long as my companions are safe, I can pass on in peace. And that won't happen until you're dead."

Raising a hand, Nico called upon his powers and summoned a sword of bone and obsidian.

"But, by all means…" he murmured, eyes tracing his newfound weapon. He sliced the air experimentally and got into his fighting stance. "Try me."

Pholos was defeated in seconds.

All Nico could remember was a blur of movement and swinging his sword at the spitter, but the sight of the bloodied and dying beast before him said it all. He had won. He had protected Gwillym successfully. The thought made his knees weak with relief.

But he wasn't done yet.

Poising over the body to strike off the head, Nico blinked down at Pholos with the same innocent expression that he had wooed him over with earlier.

"Any last words?" he asked out of courtesy.

Pholos growled weakly, and tried to lift his head. It slumped back to the ground uselessly. _"B…Bastard,"_ he cursed.

Nico smiled crookedly down at the spitter. "That I am, dear. That I am. Is that all you have to say?"

_"Wait,"_ Gwillym's voice filtered in, the ground shaking slightly as he cracked through the cooling metals to limp over to Nico's side. He slipped and stumbled through the still-liquid areas, but managed to get to them in the end. He settled down on his haunches with a gasp, fighting to catch his breath.

Nico couldn't tell what was gold and what was blood on his wrecked body, and that fact made his own blood run cold. It seemed his powerful side had learned its lesson after killing his sister. For now.

But…how long would that last? When would this power turn on Will, too? The one Nico had slowly, reluctantly formed affection for, even though he wouldn't admit it to the guy till the day he died?

When would he end up killing the man he…_he_…

_"Nico, angel,"_ Will murmured.

Tears prickled at his eyes, but he didn't let them form. He looked up at the dragon in silence.

Gwillym nudged him gently with his nose, breath warm and comfortable and familiar against his skin. _"You've done well, my love. Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm here. Let me finish your work for you, alright?"_

Nico didn't allow himself the mercy of acknowledging what Will said. Instead, he nodded dumbly and stepped back. He was feeling that cold, dead feeling leeching away the power in his system. Soon he would be back to his weak, mundane self again.

But at least he didn't kill Will.

He turned away from the dragons as Will finished Pholos off, sending him to oblivion with his mate Isabel. All he heard was a shuddering sigh, and a soft exhale that indicated that the job had been done.

Then, warm arms encircled his waist, drawing him against Will's firm chest.

"Thank you for the help, angel," he whispered, peppering Nico's neck with kisses. The knight forced himself not to acknowledge the fluttering in his chest and stomach. "I wouldn't have been able to make it if you hadn't stepped in. How'd you do that?"

Nico stayed silent.

"Nico?"

Nothing.

Will turned Nico so that he faced the blond, holding him by the arms so the dragon could get a good look at him. His eyebrows furrowed with worry from whatever he saw on Nico's face.

"How'd you do that, angel?" Will wondered, cocking his head in that adorable way he had that always made Nico's stomach twist with emotions too deep to grasp.

Nico grimaced slightly. "I…" he croaked. He swallowed thickly. "I don't know…"

It was obvious the dragon knew he was lying, but thankfully he was not pressured to answer. Instead, Will wrapped him back up in his embrace, resuming his light kisses over Nico's bare shoulder. Despite his resolve, Nico shuddered delicately at the feeling.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Will breathed against the knight's skin, nuzzling his nose into the crook of his neck. His arms tightened around Nico for an instant. "I'm so glad you're alive."

"I'm glad…" Nico murmured back, voice still rasping. He cleared it vainly. "I'm glad you're alright, too."

Will's answering hum vibrated over the other man's chest. "I love you so much, angel. With all of my heart, all of my life. Please, what happened today told me so much about what could happen in the future. So please, would you be mine?"

Nico's face twisted up painfully, and he bit his lip. "I…"

"You don't have to—Nico?"

The knight had pushed the dragon away.

Will tilted his head, frowning uncertainly. "Angel, what's the matter?"

Nico took a shuddering breath, unable to meet the dragon's eyes.

"Angel?"

"I'm sorry," Nico said, straightening his posture and trying to keep himself from trembling. "But I believe you need to go back home to Delvwin, Gwillym. I can't be with you."

***End of Gwillym, Ghost Arc***


	10. Temple Arc (Part 1)

**_Part One of: Temple Arc_**

_Previously, on Ghost Arc:_

_WHY. _

_WHY DID YOU KILL ME?_

_WHY SUBMIT TO THAT LUST INSIDE OF YOU?_

_WHY DID YOU BREAK YOUR PROMISE?_

_WHY DID YOU KILL ME—_

_BROTHER_

_._

_"How'd you do that, angel?" Will wondered, cocking his head in that adorable way he had that always made Nico's stomach twist with emotions too deep to grasp._

_._

_"I'm sorry," Nico said, straightening his posture and trying to keep himself from trembling. "But I believe you need to go back home to Delvwin, Gwillym. I can't be with you."_

**~ΨΩΨ~**

Will blinked down at Nico, not quite comprehending what he'd said. "What? Nico, what do you mean? You can't be with me?"

Nico kept Will from coming close to him by picking up his new sword and leveling it at the dragon's chest. The dragon halted just short of the tip, holding his hands up as though to show the knight he meant no harm.

"Angel," he said gently, as though soothing a wild animal. Nico must have looked far more unsettling than he'd first thought. "You aren't thinking straight. Is it because of that power you used? Baby, nothing's wrong with you! I know you would never hurt me. So you don't have to run me off."

Nico scowled at the dragon. "Like hell nothing's wrong with me, dragon! I can turn into a fucking _ghost_!"

"Nico, baby. Just because you have a strange power doesn't mean that there's something wrong! Angel, you're probably just a demigod, son of some underworld god or goddess or nymph. Calm down, angel."

"Fucking shit, Gwillym!" Nico spat. "Like fucking hell! Do you _smell_ any demigod blood in me? Well, _do you_?!"

"Demigod scents are usually pretty well masked until they're claimed, angel," Will said. "Just because you don't smell like a demigod doesn't mean you aren't one!"

"I AM _NOT A DEMIGOD, GWILLYM_!" Nico shouted, voice cracking. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He took an unsteady step back from the dragon. "Please," he whispered, tears blurring his vision. "Please just leave. Go back home, to your hoard. Take Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary with you, too. Live your life happy, without me. _Please_."

Will looked devastated, but he still put on a determined face. "Nico, angel. You're still in shock. Let's go back to town, okay? We can collect the reward for the spitter's head, and then—"

"No."

Will blinked several times as though holding back his own tears. _Strange,_ Nico thought absentmindedly. _I've never seen him cry. Dragons cry?_ "Angel…"

"Go _home_, Gwillym." Nico spun away from the dragon, sword disappearing into the shadows. "Be safe."

The dragon trapped Nico in his arms, holding him like a lifeline. Nico struggled futilely against his embrace. "I don't want to! Nico, I don't care if you think you're dangerous or not, because you're _not_! There's no reason why you should think you'd be a threat to me or anyone else."

"NO REASON?!" Nico screeched, kicking Will from behind. "I FUCKING KILLED MY _SISTER_!"

Power rushed into him, and he managed to escape Will's arms. The dragon gapped at him in shock. "Nico?!"

Shadows swarmed around him, making him completely untouchable despite Will's desperate efforts. "Go home, Gwillym."

"No, _NICO_!"

He vanished into darkness, willing himself to travel as far as he could from everything he'd come to care for and love.

Warm tears tracked down his cheeks even in the shadows.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

Nico reappeared in the middle of the woods somewhere on Earth, blind with tears and not caring where he was. As long as he wasn't near enough to the dragon to be found, he would survive. Or he would force himself to, anyway.

Stumbling a bit as he stepped backwards, he sat down at the base of the massive tree he had shadow travelled out of. He curled up in a little ball, and held back sobs as he willed himself to calm down.

He could do this. He could survive. It wasn't like that dragon was everything to him. Like he had given that dragon his only friends and told him to take care of them without Nico's watchful eyes nearby. Like he hadn't just forked over his heart and expected Will to keep it whole for him halfway across the world. Will would be better off without him. Nico was only human, after all. He would only be able to live a piece of the dragon's life. Will would be happier without him, and safer. After all, Nico was a ticking time bomb of uncontrollable power. Why he had been so naïve as to think that he would be able to live travelling with Will for the rest of his short life boggled him now. How could he have forgotten what happened to the last person he…_er_…felt family connections for…?

He recalled Will's shattered expression just before his departure, and bit his lip so hard he tasted blood.

It had only been five minutes, and Nico already missed him.

Damn dragon and his—

Nico sighed sharply, hugging his legs closer to his body. He was only wearing those trousers Pholos had been kind enough to leave on him. The trunk of the tree dug uncomfortably into his bare back.

But it showed him he was somewhere far away from Will. He wouldn't be able to trek who-knows-how-far in order to kill him when he didn't even know where he was.

He forced himself to relax a bit and breathe slowly. His breaths kept hitching up in sobs.

_Will. Will, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…_

Nico realized it would be harder than he'd thought to move on from the dragon. He hadn't just spent two years practically adjoined at the hip with someone to forget them after a day, he supposed.

With a shuddering exhale, he decided to sleep. If he had a nightmare about Bianca, he wouldn't have to think about Will and the guilt already bubbling up within him. Anything, Nico thought, would be better than the guilt.

So he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

_"Nico…? Nico!"_

_"WHAT?" he exclaimed, swiveling his head to glare at whoever it was that disturbed him from his nightmare—_

_Oh. _Oh_. Of _course_ he would have the worst luck in the universe to be stuck skipping through memory lane with the blond menace himself._

_He found himself unconsciously relaxing a bit, but that wasn't really him. Strike that, it _was_ him, but the him from a year ago._

_"Dragon," he murmured with a nod of the head. He had never been able to keep his anger when the blond looked like a goddamned puppy all of the time. Stupid dragon._

_Will grinned down at Nico, who was currently sharpening his blade next to the fire pit. "Do you know what today is?"_

_Nico frowned. "Tuesday?"_

_"No, silly," Will wagged his finger and set his other hand on his hip, looking much like a mother teasingly scolding her child. "Guess again!"_

_The knight's frown deepened. He was pretty sure it was Tuesday. "The day you finally start wearing a shirt?"_

_"Nooo…"_

_Nico sighed. "What is it?"_

_"It's our first year anniversary, duh!" Will pouted cutely, which Nico could only shake his head at. Only Will could be a three thousand year old dragon and still be able to pull off an expression like that._

_"We're not a couple, Will!" Nico reminded him. He didn't understand why the dragon needed a constant reminder of that fact._

_"Oh, hosh posh!" Will exclaimed, grinning like a madman. "It's still the day where we set off together for the first time!"_

_Nico rolled his eyes at him. "And what's so great about that?"_

_Will's grin looked about ready to split his face in half. "I get to give you presents!"_

_OH GOD NO._

_Nico strained with all of his might to get out of that memory, but by fate or someone just outright hating him _(A/N: *cough, cough*)_, he was stuck there._

_Will came up with a box from who-knows-where, and set it down gingerly at Nico's side. "Go on!" he urged the curious knight. He gestured towards the box. "Look inside, angel!"_

_"Don't call me angel!"_

_Complaint ignored, Nico just huffed and looked into the offered box. But soon he was yelping loudly in the silent forest and jumped away from said box and nearly caught his hair on fire from the fire pit in the process._

_"_WILL_!"_

_Said dragon blinked at him, feigning innocence. "Yes?"_

_"YOU DID _NOT_ HAVE WHAT I THINK YOU HAD IN THAT BOX!"_

_"I sincerely don't know what you're talking about, angel." To show what he meant, he put his hands into the box and lifted the contents out for the smaller man to gap at. "After all, it's not wrong that for our first anniversary we play around, albeit safe. I'll assure you they're completely sanitary, too! I would know, I soaked them in alcohol and boiled them in water myself! They're perfect for anyone's first time!"_

_"BUT—BUT THOSE ARE…!" Nico's face was completely beet red._

_"They're what, angel?"_

_"THOSE ARE FUCKING _CHILDREN'S TOYS,_ YOU IDIOT!"_

_"Were you expecting _sex_ toys?" Will wondered, blinking owlishly._

_"WH—I WOULDN'T—"_

_Will raised an eyebrow, and Nico went red down to his tight-fitting long sleeved shirt. He gritted his teeth stubbornly and refused to breathe another word, lest it be something equally as embarrassing as what the dragon had just implied._

_The dragon burst out laughing, cuddling one of the fluffy doggies to his bare chest. "You seriously have no idea how hard it was to clean these, though! Whoever their last owner was left a _lot_ of dust on them! And I was seriously lucky these weren't made out of cotton, either! They would have shrunk while washing!"_

_Nico curled his lips away from his teeth and sneered at the dragon. "You're not suggesting I actually _touch_ one of those ungodly abominations?"_

_Will put on his best puppy-dog face, which with the toy puppy in his arms was almost irresistible. Will-puppy x100_

_The knight glared at the dragon stubbornly._

_"Please?" Will actually _whimpered_, making things even worse for Nico's resolve. "Play with me? For our anniversary?"_

_Will-puppy x110.4, plus tax_

_With a sharp exhale, Nico (reluctantly) relented. He kneeled down next to Will—with respectable distance between them, of course—and picked up one of the dolls, which just happened to be that of a dragon, and snorted._

_Will's eyes widened until they resembled dinner plates at the sound. "Did you just _snort_?"_

_Nico blinked at Will before tensing self-consciously. "Um…no?"_

_"Yes, you did!" Will's smile grew even more, if that was even humanly possible. Well, then again, he _was_ a dragon. "That's so _adorable_, angel!"_

_"It is not, stupid dragon!" Nico snapped, throwing the dragon plush at the dragon. "Shut up before I make you!"_

_Will chuckled warmly and winked at the man. "Oh? And how do you expect to do _that_, angel?"_

_Nico's face flushed even brighter, and he grabbed another toy to lob at the idiot next to him. He muttered curses under his breath as the blond laughed merrily, taking each offered toy into his arms until his head was surrounded with cute fluffy animals, almost resembling a toy himself._

_"Idiot dragon," Nico muttered._

_Will smiled crookedly at the knight, a genuine smile that reached his eyes._

_With much displeasure, or so the dragon made it seem with his overdramatic theatrics, Will put the toys back into the box after promising Nico all-too-sullenly to take them to some children in the next town they stumbled upon._

_With the moon and stars awake some time later, Nico stoked the fire and settled in to take the first watch of the night. He jolted slightly when something cold touched his neck._

_"Happy first anniversary," Will whispered into the knight's ear, letting the leather-cord necklace settle onto his collarbone._

_Nico took the pendant strung at the end in his fingers and stared at it, seeing it in sharp contrast with thanks to the fire. It was small; a touch larger than the size of his thumbnail, but it was made of pure gold and silver, with a touch of obsidian where the figure was holding something in its arms. It was an angel, with it robes flowing gold and silver wings tucked in at its back._

_Something in Nico's stomach fluttered like a handful of butterflies had decided to have a field day in there. His breath caught in his throat as he continued to examine the stone, noticing some sort of tiny inscription along the edges and symbols that were most certainly words in dragontongue on the back._

_In short, it…it was beautiful._

_"Wh…" Nico swallowed thickly, wanting to address the dragon before he got bored of Nico staring at the gift like an idiot and settled down for bed. "What does it s-say?"_

_He could almost feel Will's smile against the back of his neck. "Around the edges is a charm in a long-dead language, securing that the wearer will always find it back in their possession no matter how far apart they become. On the back, it simply says 'Angel' in dragonscript."_

_Despite the cheesiness of it all, Nico was honestly touched. "Did you make this yourself?"_

_Will touched Nico's cheek tenderly, making him look at the blond. "Do you like it?" he wondered tentatively, blue eyes soft._

_Knowing he wouldn't be able to function enough to form words while the dragon looked at him like that, he nodded._

_Laughing softly, Will tapped the knight's cheek. "I made it with you in mind, angel. I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll keep wearing it after today."_

_And Nico did_, _up until the point he was forced to sell it for money so they could eat. He could still picture the look of sadness on the dragon's face that day and the month after telling Will that he'd sold it. The blond had been utterly crushed to the point of tears, but held himself up reasoning that the charm would someday bring it back to them. To Nico, his "angel"._

_And, even after a year had passed, Nico himself wondered about the so-called charm on the first-year anniversary pendant. Would it really end up with him again, no matter how far away they got?_

_He found himself longing for it as he edged towards wakefulness. It would end up being the last piece of something that had been _theirs_._

Fresh tears trailing down his face, Nico blinked his eyes open blearily and prepared his body and soul for the torture of living without Gwillym, son of Apollus.


	11. Temple Arc (Part 2)

**A/N: All misspelled names were meant to be that way.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Two of: _****Temple Arc**

When Nico finally came to his senses, he found himself on a cold stone floor, head supported on a wrap of fabrics and body covered in bandages. Just to one side of him, a dying fire crackled, and just a few yards to his other side was an opening to the woods. It was raining heavily, thunder booming occasionally.

Groaning, Nico turned his head to one side, blinking at his surroundings. He was in some sort of old building, with towering columns and the smell of mold and decay evident.

The question was: how had he gotten there?

Shifting, Nico made to sit up, but hands clamped strongly on his shoulders and held him down. Strangled noise aside, the knight took it calmly. He tilted his head back to see his captor. Then he blinked, because the man behind him could _not_ have been his long lost twin even though he looked _just_ like him, only bigger. Nico must have been dreaming still. No one could look so alike to him and get away with it, surely.

The Nico-lookalike took in the knight's confusion in stride. "My name is Anubis," he introduced himself, mouth quirking upwards a bit. "Egyptian god of funerals and the dead."

Nico blinked. "If you're…then am I…?"

Anubis smiled reassuringly and patted the knight's shoulders. "You're not dead," he soothed, brown eyes warm and flickering in the firelight. "Just a bit bashed up, really. You came into the master of this temple's vicinity—or just outside of it, honestly. Why he lied I'll never know—and so he called upon me and a halfblood to care for you while you recovered."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "Halfblood…?" _Master…?_

Anubis raised his head and called out deeper into the temple. "He's awake!"

"Oh, good! And here I was worried he might not wake up!"

A woman trotted into view, simple purple floor-length dress billowing as she moved, and sat down with on her legs at Nico's feet. She had dark skin and a mess of frizzy hair, with bright gold eyes that seemed to glow in the light of the fire. "Hello, dear," she smiled down at Nico, setting the bowl in her hands to one side. "How are you feeling? You were unconscious when we found you, and your skin was ice cold. Are you any warmer?"

Nico was suddenly very weary, and could hardly keep his eyes open. "'M okay…"

Anubis shifted behind him and returned with smelling salts, waving them slowly in front of the knight's nose until he was entirely awake again. "Sorry," he murmured at Nico's unhappy groan. "You were in critical condition. It'd be best if you didn't go to sleep so soon. You need medicine and some food before you can rest."

The smaller man breathed in a shuddering breath and thumped his head against his makeshift pillow. "Who…are you?" He slurred slightly while talking to the lady.

"My name is Levesquelle," she bowed her head slightly. "But you can call me Hazel. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What would your name be?"

He was too befuddled to even think straight, let alone think of a lie. "Nico."

Hazel smiled. "It's wonderful to meet you, Nico."

The knight examined her in silence, head slightly tilted to the side. "Halfblood…?"

"Ah," Anubis murmured, understanding. "Yes, Hazel here is a coatyl-phoenix mix. Daughter of Pluton, Romanian god of the dead. I, on the other hand, am an Egyptian serpent. We're both what you humans would know as dragon-birds, am I right?" He looked to Hazel for confirmation.

Hazel nodded. "Yes. I don't like it, to be honest, but they'll call us what they will."

"Certainly better than being called that biased 'fireless' as some do," the god mused.

The woman sighed, reaching over and looking through the contents in the bowl next to her. "Don't I know it. I've been called that a few times in my lifetime, you know."

"Have you, now?" Anubis murmured, gently setting his hands on either side of Nico's face. The knight squirmed at the foreign touch. His hands were overly warm, but maybe that was because Nico was overly _cold_ and shivering slightly despite the fire. The god turned his attention down to the man. "Forgive us, Nico," he said, fingers trailing over the man's cheeks. "We have been forced to take refuge under the master's temple until this storm passes. Originally we were to take you to Hazel's territory, but we were cut off by the elements. We'll head to somewhere warmer when this passes."

Hazel took out a wet rag from the bowl and dipped it in a pot Nico hadn't noticed hanging over the fire. It came up steaming and dripping.

"Here," Hazel said, folding up the rag and settling it on Nico's bare, bandage-less chest. "Does this help? Or is it too hot?"

Nico exhaled, body slowly filling with warmth. "No… It feels good. Thank you."

"He must be warming up then, if it didn't burn him," Anubis observed, one hand travelling to Nico's forehead. "Ah, yes. He's no longer freezing cold. Just slightly below average. This is good."

Nico's eyelids fluttered, threatening to slide closed. "Why are you helping me?" Nico wondered, turning drowsy again. The warmth felt very nice. Reminded him of Will.

"Oh, the master felt your presence and called for us two to retrieve you," Hazel said, tilting her head in thought. "He's the temple dragon of this area. He most likely sensed your unconsciousness and wanted you safe. He's rather protective of the humans dwelling in his domain."

Temple dragon. Nico had shadow-travelled across the sea, then.

Nico blinked sleepily, and Hazel frowned down at him.

"Is he stable enough to sleep yet?" Hazel asked Anubis.

"I would think so," he replied, moving a lock of hair away from the knight's face. "You can sleep after you get something in your stomach, alright? Then we can take you over to Hazel's territory while you recover the rest of the way."

Nodding once, Nico's eyes trailed to the fire.

How was Will doing? Was he back at the caves in Delvwin, with Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary?

Nico hardly noticed himself getting propped up and didn't acknowledge the fact that he was being spoon-fed something lukewarm. He just watched the flames dance and allowed himself to think about what he'd done.

He'd run from Will. Actually _fled_. And he wasn't even sure where he was or how far he had managed to travel other than the fact that he was across a fucking _ocean_. He didn't know how critically injured Will had been after the fight, hadn't found out just how in the hell he even _found_ Nico anyway. In short, the knight had left before setting _anything_ straight.

But it was all okay. As long as Will was safe.

A few minutes that felt like hours later, Nico felt himself being lowered onto the makeshift pillow that had to have been Anubis's jacket.

The god laid a hand over Nico's eyes, blocking the light of the fire from his vision. "You can sleep now," he said, voice as warm as Hazel's had been. He probably adopted it to keep Nico calm. "The rain will subside after a little while. So, rest while you can, Nico."

Anubis muttered something under his breath, and drowsiness slammed into Nico, draping him in veils of darkness.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_"I just can never get a break, can I?" Nico muttered, looking around the dreamscape._

_He was standing in some sort of a throne room, still only wearing those goddamned pants that the spitter had left on him. Before him, a shadow loomed. A massive figure that he wasn't allowed to see. In front of the figure was a hydra, all of its heads bowed but one._

_Nothing moved for long enough for Nico to realize this was something important, not conjured up by his own imagination._

_At his side, a voice laughed knowingly. _"It _is_ important, Nico di Angelo. You are wise to see that."

_Nico flinched, turning his head to see the owner. A dragon of gold and red-brown scales sat on its haunches, tail curled around its forelegs. It had bright blue frills lining its body, meant for gliding instead of flying, and even with the awkward length of its body and head and tail it still managed to look regal. Its head was poised high and with authority as it watched the frozen scene before them in silent regard._

_"Who are you?" Nico asked._

_The dragon glanced down at him with a milky white eye that made a shiver run down the knight's spine. Was the dragon blind? _"I am Hypnotis, god of dreams and sleep. Master of the temple you currently reside within."

_Nico's eyes widened. The temple dragon that had practically saved his life. He glanced back to the figures in the scene before darting his eyes back to the god. "Why have you brought me here? Where is this?"_

_Hypnotis blinked dazed-like at the froze dreamscape, and it slowly began to roll like moving pictures, flipping from one to the other faster and faster until they all bled together and became a memory. _"There's something I want you to see,"_ the god told the knight as sound filtered into the scene._

_The hydra was speaking, but the dream was so fuzzy that he couldn't hear but a buzz for the voice. _"—news concerning the Sun-Breather has been reported, Lord."

_The figure boomed some sort of reptilian noise, but did not speak._

_The hydra took this as permission to continue._ "He has been seen travelling to the Western Faerok dwelling, where our sources say he grew up, Lord. We predict that he will return to his original dwelling just outside the town of Delvwin within the year, Lord."

_Nico's eyes widened. Delvwin. Where Will lived._

_The knight's eyes darted to Hypnotis, but the god just shushed his unspoken onslaught of questions and encouraged him to keep listening._

_The shadowy figure made a different noise, and even the hydra's raised head lowered slightly. Its tail was tucked in between its legs like a wolf to its alpha. _"C-Correct, Lord. Forgive us, Lord. We have placed many traps for him over the years, Lord. But two years ago he acquired a human mate and had left his territory to hop around the country with it. We had trouble tracking him, Lord. But now that the human has died by the poison spitter of Georlisna, the Sun-Breather has become susceptible and made his presence known splendidly, Lord."

_The lord made a noise that must have been pleased, because the hydra relaxed a smidge and lifted its middle head again to continue stronger. _"We have prepared the drakes and wyrms within his territory already, Lord. By your command, they will strike at his return."

_Hypnotis halted the memory and turned his attention to Nico, who had paled considerably._

"You realize the harm you caused by leaving his side?"_ Hypnotis asked._

_Nico grimaced. "He…" Nico swallowed dryly, feeling like there was a boulder lodged in his throat. He couldn't remove his eyes from the hydra's back. "He can protect himself adequately…can't he?"_

_Hypnotis blinked down at the man. _"The Lord and his men prepare for war, Nico di Angelo. I doubt even _he_ is going to allow a being such as Gwillym, son of Apollus, hero of last millennia fight himself free of just _one_ rank of assassins."

_Nico's eyebrows furrowed, conflict flaring in his chest. His head started throbbing. "But I—I can't! What can _I_ do against _dragons_?"_

_The god was silent._

_"What the hell did I _do_, anyway?!" Nico growled, bristling at not being answered. "I'm fucking _human_!"_

"Maybe so,"_ Hypnotis murmured, and Nico just about cried in relief with someone agreeing with him. _"But you have rather unique abilities. For one, your scent is all but nonexistent. Only someone paying close attention could catch a whiff of you. Second, your powers."

_Nico went rigid._

_Hypnotis took in the man's posture for a moment in thoughtful silence. _"I have seen through your dreams that you fear yourself because of these powers you possess."

_Nico snarled and stepped away from the god. He felt as though he were being backed into a corner. "_So_?"_

_But the god and the dreamscape were beginning to disappear, fading into black. _"Have Anubis and Levesquelle return you to my temple so that we may speak in reality. They're taking you too far from my territory for me to converse with you properly in dreams."

_"And why should I listen to you?" Nico growled stubbornly._

_Hypnotis wasn't fazed by the man's anger. In fact, he seemed almost resigned by it. _"By your dreams I have learned much about you, Nico di Angelo," _he said, voice faint. The way he said it wasn't even intimidating, but very, very sad. Riddled with age and eons of suffering. Nico suddenly felt tiny in the presence of the god. _"I know you still care deeply for the one you ran from."

_Just before the dream completely vanished and Nico woke up, one last sentence was breathed into his ear:_

"If you come to speak with me, you can save your Sun-Breather."


	12. Temple Arc (Part 3)

**_Part Three of:_**** Temple Arc**

"We need to go back!" Nico shouted to the wind the moment he woke up.

Hazel jerked violently under him, and he nearly plummeted a hundred feet to the ground if he hadn't latched onto her back tightly the moment before. Anubis swooped by in his own turquoise, black and gold Egyptian serpent form, using his wing to steady the coatyl.

_"Nico?!"_ Hazel cried out in surprise, flapping her beautiful rainbow plumage so that she hovered in midair. _"What are you doing awake already? Anubis's sleep charm—"_

"Never mind that!" Nico snapped, finally loosening the death grip he had on the coatyl's feathers. "Take me back to the temple! Hypnotis summoned me!"

Anubis seemed to flinch, but he recovered before Nico could tell what had freaked him out. _"I have not received such notion from the master."_

Nico tried not to claw his fingers into the beast below him in his anger. Hazel had been too kind to him for him to be rude. "He's the fucking god of _dreams_, you idiot!"

_"Language!"_ Hazel barked.

Anubis probably would have frowned if he didn't have the face of a snake. _"He is indeed the god of dreams and sleep. If you're saying he visited you in your dreams…" _He turned to Hazel. _"Let's head on back, just to be safe. We wouldn't like the master to become angry with us, after all."_

Uncertainly, Hazel nodded. _"Very well, Anubis. Nico, hold on."_

They turned rather sharply while still hovering before Hazel pumped her wings to regain some speed. They backtracked over a sea of trees and the occasional twisting river, slowly returning to Hypnotis's temple.

From the distance provided, Nico found the god's temple to be rather spectacular. Old, yes. It was worn down, almost to the point of ruins. But it had a beauty about it that reminded Nico achingly of the caves of Delvwin, walls worn smooth from years of scales rubbing up against them, ceiling beautifully sculpted despite the holes riddling it like cheese. And it was green, flowers blooming wildly everywhere and grasses waist-high and choking the life out of the attempts of cleaning them up that the humans in the area had done. Moss covered the stone bricks and ivy clung to the walls until the holes in the sides were veiled in curtains of the plants. And, from his vantage point, Nico could even see the cattle and sheep grazing just outside the temple, shepherd dogs lazing around while their masters rested next to the equally lazy river. Everything was sleepy and peaceful, as though affected by the nearby god's powers.

It calmed Nico's frayed nerves, to see such a relaxed place. A little paradise. Somewhere that seemed unaffected by the chaos caused by living, seemingly unaware of the looming threats the world was throwing at Nico every time he turned his back on it.

Hazel landed them at the top of the temple stairs. Humans strolling by didn't even spare them a second glance.

Nico slid off of her, and she returned to her human form a moment later. Anubis did the same. "Alright," she said, looping her arm with Nico's in a lady-like gesture. "Let's get going!"

With a determined set of the teeth, Nico nodded and allowed himself to be dragged into the temple.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_Nico blinked in surprise. Why was he _sleeping_?_

_Then he remembered how he'd burst into Hypnotis's chambers shouting at the dozing god to wake the fuck up and tell him what to do to save Will._

_The knight grimaced at the memory. He had never met a god before the temple dragon and Anubis, and yet Nico was almost certain they all had terrible tempers. Especially upon waking up. Hypnotis had taken in Nico's frustrated and impatient shouting with silence, standing with a yawn. The human had bristled and snapped that the god should stop being lazy and actually _tell_ him something, but the god had merely stepped towards him, tapped his finger against the man's forehead, and off to sleep Nico went._

_Nico exhaled sharply from impatience. Didn't the god know how dire the situation was? What if Will went home?!_

_Blinking at the dreamscape, he frowned in thought. _Then again…_ he mused. _If he's apparently at the place where he grew up…he'd want to stay there, right? With his kin and friends? After all, Will had left his home behind at the slightest indication of something more amusing. He could find someone more suited for him where there were dragons like him, a mate. He could have a million kids and never have a dull moment in his life ever again.

_Nico didn't like that thought very much, but it was his fault for leaving the dragon in the first place. There was nothing he could do about it._

_But still, he was worried by the memory Hypnotis had shown him. If, and only if, Will left for his abandoned caves, then he would be in danger of a surprise attack. He didn't know what was coming for him, or Nico figured that he didn't. Who knew, Will might have known about the threat looming over him the entire time he had been with Nico._

_Maybe that was the real reason why Will had wanted to travel with him. It made sense, if Nico could apparently conceal his scent like the god had implied. He didn't know if _Will_ had known, but it was a better reason than the popular "I'm curious" Nico always got for an explanation._

_Nico grimaced. He hoped, he really did, that Will would stay where he was and just be happy there. It had sounded like the Lord's men couldn't strike him while surrounded by so many other dragons. The dragon really had no real excuse for going back._

"What are you saying?" _said Will's voice in the inky blackness._ "Of _course_ I have an excuse. You told me to go home, after all. Didn't you?"

_A splash of stars littered the dreamscape, and Will appeared, standing in his favorite pair of red-brown trousers, a goofy grin on his face. He had his arms crossed and hip jutted out, head tilted slightly in that sassy way he had. His blue eyes glittered, amused._

_Nico's heart stopped in his chest, breath cutting off. His eyes widened. "Will?"_

_Will's grin softened, and he winked at Nico. "Heya, babe."_

_"Wh-What…"_

_"What am I doing here?" Will asked for the astonished man. Nico nodded, clamping his mouth shut. "Oh, I'm just a mirage conjured by your imagination. Nothing else."_

_"O…Oh…"_

_Will's smile waned a bit. "Does my presence disconcert you?"_

_"Wh—No! No, it doesn't." Nico wasn't sure why he was explaining himself to a mirage, but the words flew out of his mouth on their own. "I—I'm glad to see you."_

_Will's smile returned for a moment. "Really?" He sighed softly, seeming to relax a touch. "Good. Good."_

_But Nico was still confused. "Why are you here?"_

_Will walked forward until he stood right in front of the knight. It was a kind of closeness that Nico usually shied from, but he really couldn't care less. This was _Will_, even if just an image of him._

_The dragon's head tilted to one side, sun-kissed hair falling over his forehead. "I wanted to give you something," dream-Will said._

_"Like what?"_

_Will took Nico's face in his hands, an action the knight had never allowed until that moment. _A dream,_ he kept repeating to himself, but even then he was fighting off the blush blossoming over his cheeks. Their faces were too close, only inches away._

_Will smiled down at him, and leaned forward. His lips touched the smaller man's forehead. "I want to give you a good dream," he whispered into Nico's ear, then pressed his mouth into the shell._

_Nico's face was hot. His words weren't functioning properly. All he could do was mumble nonsense, stumbling through flustered thoughts while gapping at the dragon who moved just far enough away to look him in the eye, blue to dark brown. His gaze was overwhelming and oh-so-gentle._

_"May I?" Will murmured._

_Snapping his mouth shut, Nico just nodded._

The dream changed.

_Will and Nico adjusted to the dream, Nico sitting in front of the dining table of a hotel room and reading recent notices in the paper with a deep frown on his face. Will was sitting in the middle of the floor, playing catch with Mrs. O'Leary._

_"So," Will began. "What's the verdict?"_

_Nico threw the newspaper on the table with an irritated huff. "Just some lunatics today. Wanting dragons killed just because they live 'too close to town' or so they so kindly put it. Sons of bitches."_

_Will laughed. "Don't you worry about them, angel. People like that are just superstitious."_

_Nico exhaled and gripped his mug of diluted liquor tightly, knuckles turning white. "It's just annoying, you know? I see those sorts of posts more often than the serious ones. And there are people dumb enough to actually _take on those jobs_."_

_The blond sighed, standing with a soft grunt. He went over to where the knight sat hunched and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, fingers squeezing comfortingly. "Don't stress yourself over the inevitable, angel," he murmured._

_Nico growled at the offending piece of paper on the table, swigging from his mug._

_Will placed his hand over the mug so Nico couldn't drink any more. "Let's change the subject, then?"_

_"To what?"_

_"Well…when's your birthday?"_

_The knight snorted. "Small talk? Really?"_

_Will huffed and pouted. "Just try for once, please? I've been seriously meaning to ask you this."_

_Nico rolled his eyes. "January 28__th__."_

_The dragon's answering smile was blinding. "Mine's the summer solstice."_

_"Of course it is."_

_Will chuckled in his ear, leaning his hip against the chair Nico was sitting in. "What was your favorite birthday gift, angel? Be honest."_

_"What birthday gifts?" Nico wondered in mock-seriousness. Will saw his half-attempt at a joke and chuckled, nudging him in the side to continue. "Well, my…my sister…" Nico faltered. "She drew me a picture of a bird and told me it was her. Whatever that meant. It looked like a phoenix, it was so red. I loved it. It was one of the only hand-made things she ever gave me before she…well…"_

_Will rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "My favorite gift came from my half-brothers Michael and Lee. They brought in some enchanters and turned my best friends into kittens. Best day of my life, hands down."_

_Nico chuckled softly at the image. "That must have been rather rough on your friends, though. Being turned from ferocious dragons into measly felines. Your friends _are_ dragons, right?"_

_"Yes, they are." Will's eyes misted in thought. "I haven't seen them in forever, though. I wonder how they are."_

_The knight blinked up at the dragon in confusion. "Why don't you go visit them, then?"_

_Will's lips twitched upwards. "Silly," he chuckled, bopping Nico on the head. "I can't just leave you to go after friends who might not even like me anymore! Besides. Who would look after you while I was away? How in the world would you function without little old me keeping you company?"_

_"Idiot dragon," Nico bared his teeth and growled. "I can take care of myself. I'm not some housewife looking to you for support!"_

_The blond winked down at him and stuck his tongue out playfully. "Argue all you want, but you'll always be my little angel, angel. That's why I gave you that necklace on our anniversary, you know." He tapped said necklace, which lay comfortably around Nico's neck. (It would only be another couple months later when Nico would be forced to sell the necklace for money.)_

_Nico reached up to touch the warmed metal on instinct, that familiar fluttering feeling beginning in his gut._

_Will smiled warmly down at Nico, sky-colored eyes tender. "I'll always want to protect you, my angel," he murmured. "Always."_

The dream faded away, leaving wisps of feeling still coursing through Nico's system. Those goddamned butterflies were still playing hopscotch in his belly.

He blinked open his eyes, feeling even sadder than before. The guilt was evermore gnawing at him, leaving his body shaky and clumsy. He looked around, and found Hazel and Anubis leaning over him, Hazel relieved with him waking up and Anubis wearing an unreadable expression.

Just behind them, Hypnotis stood in his temple dragon form, watching on with sightless eyes.

_"You're awake,"_ he observed.

Nico shakily got upright and leveled a glare at the god. "Why did you knock me out?! This isn't a situation where you can just—"

_"Patience is a virtue needed in these times. And it is patience you seem to lack the most."_ The god tilted his head. _"Putting you to sleep is the best way I can teach you that, boy."_

Standing on trembling legs, Nico growled as best he could at the dragon while still weak from the memory-dream. "You're the one who came to me in my sleep saying that he was in danger and needed my help, dammit! You were the one telling me to go to you for answers! Fucking tell me what I need to do already!"

"Him?" Hazel wondered, eyes widening a fraction out of curiosity. "Him who?"

Nico's back tensed, and he suddenly couldn't meet anyone in the eye. His gaze travelled down to the ground.

_"Go ahead," _Hypnotis suggested to the knight, gesturing towards him with a tail-tip._ "Tell them who you're dying to save."_

Nico made a noise in the back of his throat, and he fidgeted.

Hazel's warm gold eyes were looking at him in confusion. "Nico? Who is it?"

The man sighed slowly, letting his heart rate calm. Hypnotis said he could help Nico save Will, and Hazel and Anubis had saved the human already from dying out in the cold rain. He could trust them, couldn't he?

Nico closed his eyes and moistened his lips. "He's…"He cleared his throat. "He's this man I was travelling with. I recently…ah…ran away. But it seems it did no good. He's apparently in danger because of it."

Hazel said "What's his name?" at the same time Anubis said "Why is he in danger?"

Nico lifted his eyes a bit, holding on Hypnotis's tattered hip frill. "His name is Gwillym, son of Apollus," Nico told them, voice grim. "And he's in danger of being killed by…something…wanting to start a war?"

Hypnotis nodded as though Nico spilling his guts had pleased him. _"Correct, Nico di Angelo. He is being threatened by the one known simply as The Lord."_

Anubis and Hazel tensed in recognition. "The Lord is after this…Gwillym?" Hazel wondered, puzzled. "How come?"

Anubis answered her, eyes clouded with some illegible emotion. "Gwillym son of Apollus is a war hero of last millennia, known for his pronounced white fire and sun-based healing skills. Without him, they most certainly would have lost back then. That makes him a great ally to have on the side of us dragonfolk if the Lord decided to wage war. Therefore, he'd need to get rid of Gwillym if he wanted a better chance at success."

Nodding in understanding, Hazel looked to Nico. "I get that he's powerful and all and we would probably lose without him on our side, but why did you leave him, Nico? Are you two not close?"

It felt as though a stone was sitting in Nico's gut. He gritted his teeth and fought a nauseated feeling that made bile rise in his throat. "I…" Nico swallowed something sour. "I was afraid."

"Of Gwillym?" Hazel wondered, eyebrows furrowing. "I know that us dragonfolk can be intimidating sometimes, but… Is he bad? Was he rude to you? Did you talk at all?"

Nico's voice wouldn't rise above a whisper. "He's not bad. He, ah… We travelled for a couple years together, is all…"

"Oh?" Anubis said. "Travelling companions? Did he not have a territory yet?"

"He did," Nico corrected, rubbing his hands together nervously. "We, ah… He was…" Nico bit his lip. "I… He left in favor of…ah…he said I made him curious. That I did things that he didn't expect. He left his territory and travelled with me for a couple of years and he was still nowhere near done being 'curious' and I was frightened by myself and my feelings and my powers and…and I just left. I was scared of…of hurting him somehow…so I left."

Hazel rested a hand on Nico's arm. "Were you two lovers?" she wondered softly. Anubis's head rose at the indication.

Nico's mouth twisted funnily. "N…No. We weren't. He, ah…he had always flirted, but… No. We weren't even partners in that sense. Just companions."

Hazel's mouth turned down with worry. She reached up and brushed away something wet on Nico's cheeks. He wasn't sure when he'd started crying. "You love him?" she guessed.

_Love._

Did he?

No, he couldn't. He was human. Will was dragonfolk. Their lifespans weren't compatible.

His heart twisted with something painful. He felt like he was going to start coughing up blood with how much it hurt him. Outwardly, he straightened and braced his shoulders. He looked at Hypnotis with a steely gaze. "How do I save him, Hypnotis? Please tell me."

The god bowed his head slightly. _"Very well. I suppose you have waited long enough." _He turned his head and looked out a hole in the wall nearby, milky eyes travelling over the landscape. _"There are two things that you must do in order to save him. Another will reside with myself."_

Nico waited, on the edge with impatience.

Hypnotis was merciful enough to continue. _"I will travel in his dreams and try to keep him in his current dwelling of Faerok a little longer than he was wishing to stay. That will give us a good two or three months, if we're lucky, to train you, and another month to send you back over the sea to where he is."_

"Train?" Nico wondered, narrowing his eyes. He had an inkling where that was going, and he didn't like it one bit.

_"Two things,"_ the god reminded him. _"The first is the ability you possess that caused you to run from the son of Apollus in the first place. But that is the easiest issue, in a way. At your sides, Nico di Angelo, are two beings that I picked just for the purpose of training you how to use those powers. They both possess similar abilities, being a daughter of a death god and a death god himself. They can help you master and control your powers to where you will not have to fret over accidentally hurting him."_

Nico and the two exchanged glances with mixed expressions, but the god was continuing before they could ask any questions.

_"Secondly, you'll need to learn dragon etiquette before you can even set foot in the dwellings of Faerok,"_ Hypnotis said, looking solemn. _"And not just any. You'll have to be trained to behave as a dragon's slave."_

"Slave?" Nico blinked. "Why do I have to be a slave?"

_"It makes getting into Faerok easier," _the god explained. _"With the excuse that you are Gwillym son of Apollus's slave, you'll be more likely to be accepted into the dwelling's walls. So." _He looked at Nico with those milky eyes of his. _"Do you accept these terms?"_

Grimacing, Nico exhaled. "I don't have much choice, now do I?" he mumbled.

Hypnotis sighed as well, tail twitching. _"I suppose not. But it is always your decision whether you go to save him or not."_

"I'll save him," Nico responded without hesitation.

The god nodded his head. _"You are brave to say so, Nico di Angelo. I admire your courage. I can tell you realize the ruthlessness of what you agreed to, as well. And so, with this, we may begin our training. I wish you good luck, boy, and I shall let you know that you have my blessing. If things turn out well, I hope that I could have you as my legacy in another life."_

_Good luck, Nico di Angelo._

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Nico is a legacy of Hypnos and no one can tell me otherwise. (In Rick Riordan's books. It totally is canon, just as Hazel is Hecate's legacy. Why else would he love sleep so much?)**


	13. Temple Arc (Part 4)

**_Italics_**** – dream**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Four of: _****Temple Arc**

_"You have a real soft spot for little ones, don't you?" Will mused in amusement, smiling down at Nico where he was busy quieting a newly hatched arctic dragon pup by rocking it gently in his arms._

_"Oh shove it up your arse, dragon," Nico said without any real venom in his words, watching the newborn pup with tender eyes. His fingers trailed soothing paths over the pup's furry scales. "Even an idiot like you would know the pup needs to be kept calm. Sleeping, preferably. How's the mother?"_

_Will touched the mother's head with a gentle hand. "She is doing well now. Hopefully she'll be strong enough within the next few days so she can head back north where the pups won't overheat."_

_Nico nodded, and turned his attention back to the pup. "And the bastard who attacked them?"_

_The dragon chuckled at the bitterness in the knight's voice. "Dealt with, angel. You really need to put more faith in my abilities."_

"Nico, earth to Nico!"

The knight flinched from his dozing, blinking rapidly to rid the sleep from his system. "Yes?" he asked Hazel, who was watching him with worried golden eyes.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?"

Nico sighed softly, running hands through unruly black hair. It had grown out over the month, nearly reaching his shoulders. "Forgive me, Hazel," he mumbled, voice sleepy. "Anubis had me practicing all of last night. I didn't get any sleep."

Eyes saddening, Hazel nodded. "I understand. We weren't given much time to train you, were we?"

The man looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, Hazel."

She patted his cheek kindly. "It's alright. It's good practice learning how to stay alert after an all-nighter. So, we'll just review the basics for now. What are the rules of a dragon's slave?"

"I will not leave my master," he said. "I will not challenge my master. I will not disrespect my master in any way. I will protect my master, his mate and his hoard at all costs. I will not speak unless my master tells me to do so. I will not sleep, eat, or relieve myself without my master's permission. I will not look my master in the eye. I will provide all food I kill for my master. I will bring my master tributes for being allowed the privilege of being his servant. I will bow my head in my master and his family's presence. I will do everything my master calls me to do without hesitation." At the end, Nico yawned.

"Very good," Hazel commented, smiling warmly. "You've got the hang of it. Get in position?"

Nico stood with legs together and arms held straight against his sides. His head was bowed so his lengthened bangs fell over his face, eyes watching the ground blearily.

Hazel walked a circle around him, and adjusted his posture to where his back was straighter. "There. Pretty good," Hazel commented.

Knowing that Hazel would most likely be resuming her role as 'master', Nico didn't answer. He kept his position in silence.

Hazel looked over him again, and tapped him lightly on the cheek when a yawn slipped through his stance. "No yawning, Nico," she scolded gently. "I know you're tired, dear, but remember that a slave does _nothing_ without his master's consent."

Nico was pretty certain that Will wouldn't hate him so much as to not even let him yawn, but he kept quiet. Hazel touched his forehead.

"How long have you gone without sleep, really?" she asked, looking stern. "Not counting naps."

Swallowing at the look she was wearing, Nico looked away. "About a week…"

"Nico!" Hazel cried, eyes widening. "Dear, that's too long even for training! We'll stop for now, you get to your chambers and _sleep_, you hear?"

"I don't want to," Nico mumbled.

Hazel hadn't heard him, but noticed his lips moving. "What?"

"I don't want to sleep," he said, louder.

"And why not?"

Nico grimaced. "Hypnotis gives me dreams."

"Oh, the memories?" Hazel blinked. "You know he only gives you those to remind you of why you're—"

"Yeah," Nico snapped. "I know. It's just…" He inhaled sharply and turned away, rubbing his face tiredly.

"You miss him."

Nico swallowed a lump in his throat, and nodded.

Hazel ran the back of her hand down the man's cheek. "I'm glad you harbor such strong feelings for Gwillym," she told him softly, touching his hair. "I can tell it strengthens your resolve."

His bottom lip quivered, stress building in his stomach. The woman's eyes softened.

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Go to your chambers and sleep," she told him.

Wordlessly, Nico spun on his heel and did as she asked.

It had been a long month for the man. Every day after Hypnotis had told him how to save Gwillym, Anubis and Hazel had beat him to the ground with training, teaching him the ups and downs of being a slave and how to contain and use his powers without losing control of himself and killing someone. (He'd been knocked out quite a number of times by them for almost doing just that.)

But by the end of that month he knew almost everything. He drilled to himself the laws of a slave until he could recite it by heart. He practiced using his powers until he could shadow-travel across Hypnotis's territory and return without passing out or loosing himself to power lust. He could stay silent for hours on end while standing in one spot of his room, taught to himself in fear of having to go to sleep and dream about Will. He could summon his bone and obsidian sword with ease and even speak with spirits he stumbled upon in the middle of the night. He was growing stronger.

And he was lonely.

For all of his life, he knew what it meant to be alone. After his mother had died soon after his birth, it had only been him and Bianca against the world. In the orphanage, Nico had sworn to his sister that he would be the one to protect them. He would become a knight in the palace of Olympia and provide for them both.

But then he killed Bianca, and his grip on happiness had vanished, leaving him as an angry, mourning husk of what used to be a cheerful and optimistic boy. He still became a knight, to appease something inside of him. He believed that to be what Bianca would've wanted of him, if she had still been alive.

And then Percy Jackson saved him during the First War in a flourish of courage and glory and he tumbled even further into despair. He knew his crush had been an impossible feat, and yet his heart seemed to gain a mind of its own, claiming a piece of itself solely for the green-eyed man.

When he had run from Percy and his pregnant wife, he had thought it was finally over. He could live a quiet life getting money wherever he could, accompanied of two of the hero's loyalist companions. They had been Percy's last gift to Nico, an apology upon realizing that Nico had acquired feelings that could never be returned.

Every time Nico looked at Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary, he could only remember Percy and the emotions. The damn butterflies in his belly, the airiness in his head, and the fantasies that would never come true.

And then Gwillym clawed his way into Nico's life in his massive golden-scaled magnificence, and his perspective on the world turned upside down all over again.

He had been even more annoying than Percy himself. He was also better looking than Percy, taller than Percy, more muscular than Percy, older, and overall smarter than the famous 'seaweed brain'. They were both war heroes of their races. They both cared for their companions. But only Will had been single.

Nico had fallen hard for him on that aspect. It was as if without that thin barrier in the way, the knight had just let his feelings go with the flow concerning the dragon's flirting.

He stopped in front of his bed—which was Hypnotis's, but the god had let him borrow it while he was staying. The temple dragon could sleep just about anywhere, anyway. Nico had even caught him dozing on the roof before.

He regarded the bed in front of him like an old enemy. After all, it had been enchanted so Nico would always dream memories whenever he slept on it. Hell, the entire _territory_ was enchanted for that very purpose. Hypnotis was very insistent that Nico remember Will every minute of every day.

It was tiring, but just a smidge uplifting. The knight had something to climb toward. He could save Will.

With a soft sigh, Nico climbed into bed and curled up in a little ball, subjecting himself to the dreams. Hazel had told him to sleep, after all, and he didn't want her to scold him _seriously_.

He was asleep in moments.

_Will looked at him from across the fire pit, eyebrows furrowed. "What exactly are you asking me to answer here?"_

_Nico was pacing, rubbing the stubble growing on his chin and longing for a razor. "After what happened with the Arctic dragons, wyverns, wyrms, and such that we've faced, I've realized that Olympia's chart on dragon power is very biased. Concerned only with fire-breathers and such. If you could, could you tell me what the real pecking order is?"_

_"Pecking order?" Will looked incredulous. "There's no 'pecking order'."_

_Nico halted and stared at the dragon. "There's not?"_

_The blond shook his head. "Of course not. Just because some of us breathe fire and others don't doesn't mean anything! A wyvern and his brute strength can still bring down an old and wise white-fire breather. A basilisk can poison us. A wyrm can suffocate us. All dragons, except perhaps the feydragons and amphipteres, the smallest, can kill us fire-breathers. It doesn't matter what color fire you have. That only accounts to heat. All it would take is a well-aimed splash of water to leave you completely vulnerable."_

_Furrowing his eyebrows together, Nico tilted his head. "Is that right?"_

_Will smiled and nodded. "Yep! Nothing else to the pecking order, unless you want to count the gods and goddesses, who would be at the top. Each dragon has his own journey to strength and ability. It matters not what breed they are."_

_Nico sat down, frowning deeply. "I see."_

_Taking one look at the knight's expression, the blond chuckled. "Overwhelmed, angel?"_

_The smaller man glared at him from across the fire. "Shut up, dragon."_

_Will winked. "You'll just have to come over here and _make_ me, angel."_

_Coughing in surprise, Nico turned his head away with a flush he could blame on the fire. He really needed to start expecting the blond's flirting more often, as they'd been travelling for almost two years by then. "Idiot."_

_Laughing, Will stood and skipped over to where the knight was sulking, plopping down next to him and leaning far, _far_ too close. "Do I make you nervous?" he breathed into the man's ear._

_Nico visibly shuddered, and was dumbfounded by his own reaction. How was it that the blond could get that sort of response out of him? Was he ill? "Dragon," he growled warningly._

_Will's mouth was curled up in a crooked smile, eyes deep blue and half-lidded. "Yes?" he breathed, warm air fanning Nico's already burning cheeks._

_Nico swallowed, suddenly not knowing how to even breathe. How the hell does the blond pull off a look like _that_? "Uh…"_

_Face getting even closer, Will's eyes were soon the only thing the knight could see. And said knight was too dazed to even think about backing away to regain his lost personal space. His nose was invaded with the heady scent of _Will_._

_"Angel?" Will murmured under his breath, only heard because of his closeness. His face was centimeters from the black haired man's, and was tilting slightly. Their noses brushed teasingly._

_Nico stared back uncomprehendingly, saying something very intelligent like "Uh?"_

_If Nico wasn't so close to the blond, he would have seen his mouth curling into a devilish smile. Hell, he would have been able to _feel_ it if only the dragon would come just an inch closer—_

_Will drew away, pressing his lips against the tip of Nico's nose as he left the man's breathing space._

That_ jolted the knight out of his daze. He jerked away sputtering. "What the fucking _hell_, dragon?!"_

_Will laughed loudly, startling Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack where they had been sleeping peacefully the moment before. "Oh dear, angel! You're such a sweet thing! You blush like a maiden, you do!"_

_"DRAGON, I SWEAR I WILL END YOU!"_

_"Nuh-uh! No you won't!" Will jumped up and danced away as Nico scrambled to grab his sword and proceed to swing it at the dragon without removing it from its sheath. "You see, angel, I was still a gentleman! I showed honest propriety!"_

_"LIKE FUCKING HELL YOU DID, DRAGON!" Nico shouted, snarling when Will ducked his swing at the head. "Now stand still so I can bash your idiot brains in, you daft bastard!"_

_Will just laughed, and they met in their familiar dance across the camp site. The horse and hound watched on with sleepy amusement, knowing perfectly well that Will was only doing that to tire Nico out so he could have a cuddling companion for the night. It was almost tradition, after Nico had allowed Will to sleep beside him and actually accepted it after being given the angel pendant on their anniversary._

_Even without that necklace, the warmth from the exchange was still there. They (Nico) had become more comfortable with each other after it. And it had filled the knight's heart with long-forgotten warmth and hope._

_It was only a month later that he ran away._


	14. Temple Arc (Conclusion)

**_Conclusion of:_**** Temple Arc**

Nico wandered through the deep woods just behind the temple of the god Hypnotis, jittery with excitement and fear and…and guilt. Uncertainty. Anger with himself. Drowsiness from not being able to get a wink of sleep the entire week. He had been told to, repeatedly. Almost to the point of another dream-charm being cast by two very concerned gods and a halfblood. But he just _couldn't_.

Today was the day. Hypnotis told him so. Today he would be flown to where Will was staying.

Shivering, Nico blinked at his surroundings. It was still night outside, everyone else asleep. It was a perfect time for him to get a breath of fresh air, and think.

It would take them two or so days to fly over the ocean and make it into the Faerok dwellings. That had been what they had told him. Two days. Forty-eight hours from leaving this peaceful, quiet paradise to get to where Will was.

Will.

_Will._

Oh, gods, was he even ready to face him?

He would probably be cold and furious at seeing Nico. He would probably shove him aside and command him to never look his direction ever again.

But there the knight was, a mere two hours away from departing. His longing hadn't stopped the moment he registered that fact. And the fear. And the guilt. And the pain of stress in his belly, where butterflies also pranced like merry little bastards. And his heart wouldn't stop hammering in his chest, creeping up his throat until it was thumping insistently in his mouth. It was as if it was shouting _'Notice me, old friend! Remember me? You know, back when you had a crush on that guy that could never like you back?'_

Growling softly, Nico shook his head like a dog, and was mesmerized by the lightness of doing so. Hazel had cut his hair and shaved his scraggly beard just the day before, preparing him so that he was suitable to be handed off to his 'master'. Now it was still slightly long, but no longer had knots the size of birds' nests. It was layered, and even held back a piece with a ponytail.

Nico loved it. Loved being able to run his hands through his hair again. But he understood it was all for show, just as the clothes he had put on before leaving his chambers. With such expensive yet plain clothes, and a thin golden choker around his neck with an image of the sun engraved on it, it was obvious that he was a slave of a higher-class being.

Or, at least, it _would_ be obvious to the dragonfolk of Faerok. Hopefully.

Nico just hoped that Will would play along when they arrived.

Looking up at the stars and the almost-full moon above him, the knight exhaled slowly, easing his heartrate to a more bearable pace. He had been taught that trick by Anubis, who for some reason also had that problem. (Hazel had told him that Anubis was taken with some Egyptian princess or the like, but that was only a rumor…or so Nico thought.)

Closing his eyes, Nico let the starlight caress his skin, feeling the ancient power in that faint light feed his spirit. It was easier to absorb power from the sun, but with the stars he could more easily _use _his powers. And he wanted to practice one last time before he had to leave.

It was just to make sure. Nico didn't want to end up messing up his control and wind up killing Will, after all. That would have devastated him and made him break yet another promise that he had made to his sister.

Breathing in, Nico held his hands out in front of him as if presenting a gift to the stars above.

Exhaling, he spread his hands and called upon his powers, summoning his sword of obsidian and bone. It appeared effortlessly in his hands, the familiar cool weight touching his skin.

Nico opened his eyes and gazed down at his sword. It didn't have a sheath—it was a bit too unique for that—but it was still protected by a thin layer of soul-light that kept the harmful blade from touching his skin.

Stygian iron, Hypnotis had called it. A blade forged from the river Styx. One touch, and the soul was absorbed and cast to oblivion.

Nico quite liked his sword. It felt natural in his hands, like an extension of his own arm when he sparred with Anubis and his scythe. He's even beaten the god a handful of times, though Nico knew that at least one of those times the Egyptian serpent had let him win to be nice and boost his ego.

Smiling a little at the memory, Nico waved his hands again and returned the sword to the shadows. He turned his attention to a large old tree growing just at the edge of a field he was passing by.

Calling the shadows to him, the knight travelled instantly to the lowest branch of that tree, sitting and swinging his feet like a child. That was his favorite tree, or had been. He didn't know if he would ever see it again after he left to reunite with Will.

_Gah. Don't think about him,_ he scolded himself, his heart fluttering again. He breathed in and out deeply until it returned to something resembling normalcy.

Looking back up to the stars, Nico blinked and practiced his night-vision, everything not alive becoming tinged with blue and living things became red and green, red for blooded creatures and green for the vegetation. There was a bird asleep in her nest with her chicks on a nearby branch.

Turning the vision off after a couple minutes of gazing around at familiar surroundings, Nico held out his hand and focused on the stars.

The lights dimmed a touch, and brightened back to normal when he lessened his focus on turning them off. He had never been quite able to shut off lights like he had during the fight against Pholos, but he kept practicing. Anubis and Hazel didn't know about it, claiming that 'photokinesis' wasn't an ability of someone with death and shadow-related powers. Nico hadn't mentioned it to them at all after they'd said that.

Nico knew the stars and moon were too powerful for him to be able to shut off their light, but they were great practice material. He could just absorb the light they emitted and gather even more strength to dim them further.

Some nights he spent doing that until sunrise. It was rather fun having a light-hearted battle of the strongest against light sources billions of years old.

But that early, early morning, Nico gave the night sky a break. He had but a short while before someone awoke and noticed that he had snuck out. And he still needed to practice at least one more power.

Leaving the stars to twinkle and wink at him, he closed his eyes and touched his temples. A slight headache formed a moment later.

_"Master di Angelo,"_ a voice whispered into the calm night air. Blue soul-light was seen through Nico's eyelids.

_"Master di Angelo," _said a second.

_"Master,"_ said a third.

Nico opened his eyes and looked at each spirit in turn. One was a foxlike spirit that had travelled across the sea to sleep in Hypnotis's domain, a chunk of his face missing and an arrow wound in his chest. Another was a giant feline with glowing spots littering down her spine, her single remaining eye yellow-green even in death. And the third was a waterhorse filly, a scar running down from her tiny little back to the tip of her tail, splitting it in half. (A/N: waterhorse can be another word for hippocampi.) They all looked at him with sadness in their eyes, though the leopard did her best to mask it. She had always been the feistiest of the threesome.

"I'll be leaving come sunrise," Nico told them, watching their reactions. Only the filly seemed really upset about it.

_"Master Nico!"_ she whinnied, coming up to brush against his side. He touched her translucent form gingerly, and she cuddled up to him. She cried silent tears. _"Must you go?"_

"I must," Nico said, voice almost incoherent. "I must go to the one I've been training these months to see."

The fox and leopard bowed their heads. They, too, were saddened. _"You have been kind to us, master di Angelo," _the fox murmured. _"You have talked to us and played with us when no one else would. Must we see you go so soon?"_

Nico nodded in silence.

The leopard huffed in mock-annoyance. _"You could have at least made the notice _sooner_, you do realize. You caught us off guard saying you only had five days left with us."_

The filly nodded her head, sniffling loudly.

The man pursed his lips and settled his hand on the waterhorse's belly. "I wanted to tell you before, but I didn't know how to put it…"

The fox nodded knowingly. _"So, now what?"_ he wondered. _"Do you say your goodbyes and leave us as though we never existed, or what?"_

The leopard seemed to realize something. _"You're here to send us from the living realm,"_ she guessed.

"I don't know if I can do that or not," he told her honestly. "And I would never do anything without your consent, first. But if you'd like to move on, I'd like to try."

_"I would,"_ the fox said immediately. His eyes were solemn. _"I have walked on this earth for one too many eons. I have always wished to be taken out. If you can try, I would be happy to be able to get a chance at moving on."_

_"Ugh, _fine_,"_ the leopard groaned dramatically. _"I'll go on too, if this idiot bum is going. No way am I leaving him to get himself lost in the _underworld_, heaven forbid."_

The waterhorse colt looked at the man. _"I want to stay with you, Master Nico."_

Frowning down at the filly, Nico slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, sweety, but that can't happen. You're tied to this place. If I just leave you here, you can't follow."

She sniffed, and looked over at the other two spirits. She looked back at Nico. _"Okay,"_ she whispered. _"I'll go with them."_

Nico nodded, and looked at the three friends he had managed to make on his own for once, though albeit slowly as they still opted to call him "master" for some reason. "I'm sorry I have to leave," he told them reluctantly.

_"We know," _the leopard said, pawing the air. _"We've heard enough of your love interest that we understand why you're going through such great lengths to save him. We're just a bit upset by the suddenness of your leaving."_

"I didn't learn about it until the day you did," Nico admitted. "Hypnotis had been giving him dreams to keep him in Faerok. Recently, though, they hadn't been working. Something about Will also not sleeping. So I have to get to him before he ups and runs off."

They nodded, silence consuming them.

Nico glanced over his spirit friends one last time, sadness and regret tightening his chest. "I'll miss you," he whispered.

They seemed to gently smile at him. _"We know."_

He closed his eyes. "Goodbye, my friends."

The blue soul-lights disappeared with the breeze, each sighing one last time as they moved from the living world.

_"Thank you, friend."_

Moisture touched Nico's eyes, and he rubbed at them roughly. Traitorous tears.

Sliding down from the tree, he shot one last forlorn glance at the towering branches stretched powerfully towards the stars. He gave it a silent farewell, and slipped back into the woods.

An hour later, he was back in his chambers watching the sun peek over the horizon, heart still heavy with loss and guilt and anger and… He sighed. He missed Will. He missed his spirit friends, too, but that was different. With them moving on—and Nico had the instinctive feeling that they had made it to the afterlife intact, thank the gods—he felt as though pieces of their being still remained with him even in their passing.

With the dragon, it was as though a chunk of himself had been torn from his chest and he had been forced to slowly bleed out in the months he had been separated from him.

_Love interest,_ the leopard had called Will.

She must have known the exact words to say, because suddenly everything was falling in place for the knight. He loved Will. That was the only real explanation he had for everything he was doing. He loved the dragon, and so wanted to protect him with his life.

Something inside him eased at the conclusion. A bit of the stress faded.

He _loved_ Will. Now he was going back to him. To the one he loved so much that he was willing to throw his dignity away by playing the dragon's slave.

And he wasn't even scared anymore.

Because he loved him.

Will.

The dragon who threw away his home and safety and comfort to travel with a man on a whim.

The dragon who flirted so much it was ridiculous, but still managed to squeeze in enough sincerity that he melted Nico's insides with warmth.

The dragon who was gentle when skimming his fingers through Nico's hair at night when he thought the smaller man was asleep, yet brutal to anyone who dared threaten a hair on his companions' heads.

The dragon with the patience of a saint concerning Nico's lack of romance, yet so impatient with walking that he would whine days upon end asking when they would arrive at the next town.

The dragon who saved the knight time and time again, just for Nico to save him _one time_ and then run off out of fear.

Gwillym, son of Apollus. A divine figure, large in size yet as graceful as a gazelle. A being so wise and powerful that Nico was baffled by the fact that the beast even found Nico worth _looking_ at.

And yet he did look at him. A lot. With eyes as tender as a lover's, tracing over the knight's figure any time he thought the man wasn't looking. His eyes, a deep, ever-changing blue, would always warm to the color of the sea depths after watching Nico over the campfire for any extended period of time as he was sharpening his sword as he always was, with movements precise and practiced.

Those eyes had been the first thing Nico had noticed, and they ended up being the thing that made him fall hardest for the dragon.

"Nico," a voice said from behind, and said man turned to see Hazel, eyes deep with many emotions until settling with determined. She didn't even have to say anything else. Nico understood why she was there. It was time.

Nodding, he followed her out of the chambers and through the labyrinth of hallways with legs that felt like they were walking on air. Something inside of him had loosened until tears were falling freely from his eyes, and he didn't even care. He let them slide down his cheeks and fall off his chin, free.

He had been freed, just like his tears. His chest was lightening to that of a feather, even if it was still worrying and fearful of how his unexpected presence would be taken by the dragon. For now, though, he didn't allow himself to care. He was _free_.

All because he loved Will.

He and Hazel stopped at the base of the steps, where the two gods were waiting for them. _"Nico,"_ Anubis murmured, in his Egyptian serpent form and adorned with a two-seated saddle so that Hazel could ride behind Nico to make sure he wouldn't fall whenever asleep. _"Are you ready?"_

With renewed determination, he nodded.

The god of the dead nodded back.

_"I will give him a dream-charm for the trip,"_ Hypnotis told Anubis and Hazel with a slight incline of the head. He turned his milky eyes on Nico. _"I know that you're nervous, my boy. But not sleeping will only end in disaster for you while you can still get some rest. We have no idea how your Gwillym son of Apollus will take your sudden arrival. So, sleep."_

Nico hoped that the sleep would be dream-free, but it was a smaller thought than usual. He knew it just wasn't the god's way to let him sleep _without_ dreaming about Will. He had almost accepted it by that point.

The knight clambered onto Anubis's back, and Hazel reached over and fastened a strap around his waist, further securing him to the dragon-serpent. He was set for flight.

Nico was _doing_ it. He was returning to Will.

His heart suddenly wouldn't stop hammering in his chest.

Hazel wrapped her arms around his waist and guided him down so he was leaning on her, head on her shoulder. "You'll be fine," she whispered reassuringly in his ear. She could hear his erratic breathing.

Nico nodded to show he'd heard her.

Hypnotis stepped forward one last time. He looked less mystical and powerful, instead burning with a familiar and warm presence. Sleep was Nico's friend.

The temple dragon bowed his head to the three, unseeing eyes only for the knight. _"I wish you good luck, Nico di Angelo,"_ he said quietly, his voice almost mundane. _"Remember you are always welcome in this domain, and it will bring with you restfulness when you need it most. Nico di Angelo, I hope to see you again."_

The dragon touched his muzzle to Nico's forehead, and the man's eyelids drooped in drowsiness that came with the contact.

_"Good luck, Nico,"_ he repeated softly as the world faded away.

_"Fly straight and be strong, my legacy."_


	15. Faerok Arc (Part 1)

_I'm coming home_

_I'm coming home_

_Tell the world I'm coming home_

_Let the rain wash away_

_All the pain of yesterday_

_I know my kingdom awaits_

_And they've forgiven my mistakes_

_I'm coming home_

_I'm coming home_

_Tell the world I'm coming home_

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part One of: _****Faerok Arc**

_"Where are we?" Will wondered quietly, walking beside Nico as he solemnly trailed down a cobblestone path. Nico kept to himself, emotions close to bubbling to the surface and revealing what he was feeling inside that cold, indifferent mask. If he tried to speak, he just knew he would crack._

_They entered a high-twisting arch of dark iron, curled into ornate designs of flowers and vines, the high fences stretching off to each side less welcoming and more threatening with its spear-like tips. Meant to scare off intruders._

_Slabs of stone with an array of flowers littering the tops and in front of certain ones lay before them. Nico walked forward with a heavy heart and memories of his childhood._

_Will succumbed to silence as he followed Nico's purposeful trek through the graveyard._

_It wasn't a long walk. Nico knew where he was going, and took a shortcut rudely through the middle of the field to get there._

_They stopped before a plain slab next to a large and eccentrically designed one. They read _Bianca di Angelo_ and _Maria di Angelo_._

_Nico felt himself choke up._

_"Nico?" Will broke the silence rather tentatively. "Where are we?"_

_The knight kneeled before his sister's grave and bowed his head, hand touching the cool stone. "Nowhere," Nico breathed, tears budding in his eyes against his will._

_Will got on his knees beside him and ducked down to see Nico's face. Awareness flashed in his blue eyes for a moment, and he looked down at the grave with understanding._

_"Your sister?" he guessed, voice barely a whisper._

_Nico sniffled without his consent. He rubbed at his eyes with anger at himself for being so weak. Arms were suddenly wrapped around Nico's hunched body, and he leant into the pressure gratefully, gripping a handful of fabric at the dragon's thigh._

_"Some second anniversary gift, huh?" Nico chuckled sadly before breaking into sobs. He covered his face with his hands as he trembled._

_"You remembered." Will sounded surprised._

_Nico's lips twitched upwards despite his tears. "After what happened the first time? I wouldn't forget it for the world, d-dragon."_

_The blond rubbed circles into Nico's back soothingly, holding the smaller man even closer. "Thank you. For remembering."_

_Nico shook with silent tears._

_"Shh, shh shh," Will hushed him, brushing hair away from his ear. "It's okay, see? You're sister—ah, Bianca? She's right here. And I'm sure she's saddened by the fact that you're mourning her still, angel. Shouldn't you put on a smile for her? I'm sure she'd be happier if you smiled."_

_Nico sobbed, biting his lip hard._

_"Angel," Will murmured. Nico felt warm lips press against the spot just behind his ear. "Smile for her? Aren't you at all happy?"_

_"Of—Of course I'm happy," Nico said, breathing harshly. He pulled away slightly to gaze at the dragon with watery eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. "But—But I can't forget. I can never forget…"_

_"Angel," Will repeated, touching the man's cheek and brushing away the tears. "She's watching over you, you know. Even if she's gone, she'll stay with you."_

_Nico sniveled, blinking up at the dragon with wide eyes. "I…I know…" he whispered._

_Will took his face in his hands, brushing away the rest of the stray tears. "Then be happy. For her."_

_Entire body shuddering, Nico lowered his blurry eyes and eventually closed them, listening to Will's calming humming and working to control his breathing._

_"Okay," Nico finally murmured, touching the hands on his face with his fingertips. "I'm okay."_

_"You sure?" Will wondered, thumbs tracing the tear-lines on the smaller man's face. "We could sit for a few more minutes if you'd like."_

_"Nah," Nico shook his head. "It will be dark soon, and we need to get Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary so we can go find a place to stay. How much money do we have?"_

_Will grimaced._

_Nico sighed. Just as he thought. "We'll need a new job soon."_

_"I know that," the dragon whined. "But…but you know, we _could_ stay for a few extra days. There's a sea-lake nearby. I'd really like to see it at sunrise." He gave the other man his puppy-eyed look, trying to win him over._

_Nico rolled his eyes. "You can go do that tomorrow morning, dragon. I'm sleeping in, whether you like it or not." He stood up, dragging Will along by the hand even as the blond grumbled under his breath about never getting to do anything with his angel anymore._

_"Just once, Nico?" Will asked quietly, making Nico stop in his tracks and turn back to the dragon. "Can we go and see it together since I don't have the money to make you another gift like last year's?" Will tilted his head. "Please?"_

_Nico sighed, defeated. "_Fine_, we can go see the sunrise."_

_Will beamed and yanked the knight into his embrace. "Yay!" he cooed._

_Pushing away with a dark blush across his cheeks, Nico turned tail and walked off in the general direction of the entrance to the graveyard. "Idiot dragon," he muttered under his breath, fanning his face with a deep scowl._

_But his traitorous heart told him he was pleased, thumping away quickly and heavily and warming his being. So he slowed just enough to let Will catch up with him._

_He stuck a large fire-colored feather in Nico's hair, smiling affectionately._

_"Happy second anniversary, angel."_

Hazel gently shook Nico from his induced slumber. "Come on, Nico," she told him over the wind, curls flying everywhere. "You have to stay awake. We're almost there."

He had been asleep for two straight days.

Groaning, Nico slumped forward but otherwise did well to heed Hazel's command as she slid off Anubis's back and morphed to fly alongside them.

Anubis was solemn. _"We're approaching the gates, Nico. Sit up straight and resume as you would in training."_

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Nico straightened his spine and lowered his head, taking on the stance of a slave as best he could while on a dragon's back.

_"Good, good," _Anubis said, tone softening a pitch like whenever he tried to awkwardly make small talk while Nico was resting back at the temple. _"The cuffs?"_

Nico summoned shadows and had them surround his wrists, securing them together in black silk. He felt like he would throw up from nerves, snakes coiling in his belly and hissing in anger.

He was so close. He was almost where Will was.

And his stomach didn't agree with reality for a second.

_"We'll be with you, Nico,"_ Hazel told him reassuringly, flying closer to Anubis without getting in the way of his wings. She could see the man's tense back from where she flew. _"We won't leave you until we're perfectly sure you'll be safe."_

Nico nodded weakly.

Out in the distance, a cluster of mountains approached. At first glance, they seemed perfectly normal, but the closer they flew the more inhabited the rocks seemed. Tall rocks became pillars, and a steep incline became a large door. Two dragons perched atop the columns.

_"Name your business," _the one on the left said in dragontongue. (Nico had at least learnt the basics after two years of travelling with Will and months of practice at Hypnotis's temple.)

Anubis and Hazel slowed until they were flapping in place about fifty yards from the door. Nico's hands clenched into fists as he struggled to keep his head down. _"We've come in search of the dragon Gwillym, son of Apollus,"_ Hazel said in a practiced, professional tone. _"We have come to return his slave to him."_

The guardian dragons regarded Nico with indifferent expressions. _"Where is his identification?"_ the one on the right asked.

_"Around his neck is the symbol of Gwillym,"_ Hazel said. _"Lift your head, by your master's name."_

Nico raised his chin and showed them his collar.

The guardian dragons recognized the symbol even from so far away, and just slightly relaxed their postures. _"We will assign you an escort that will take you to the son of Apollus's habitation. Be swift in returning it and leaving."_

One of the dragons turned its head and made a sharp cry towards the giant stone slab, and it fell away as a mirage. The other dragon made a different cry, and another cry echoed from inside.

_"You may enter,"_ the guardians said in unison. _"Welcome to Faerok dwellings."_

Anubis and Hazel flew in without hesitation, and another dragon swooped in to fly just in front of them. Inside the mountain was just as if they had been outside all along. Everything but the opening in midair behind the threesome—now foursome—made it seem like the dragon paradise that had just opened up was endless.

_"Hello!"_ Hazel greeted the dragon, who was a bluish purple that reminded Nico rather sickeningly of Pholos the spitter.

_"Hello!"_ The dragon called back in a friendly tone, unmistakably feminine._ "Welcome to Faerok! My name is Louestre, but you can call me Lou. Where might we be going this fine day?"_

Anubis spoke up this time. _"I am Anubis, and this is Levesquelle."_

_"You can call me Hazel,"_ the coatyl added quickly.

_"And we're looking for Gwillym, son of Apollus,"_ the god finished._ "Important business. We found a slave of his and are only here to return it to him."_

_"Gwillym?"_ Lou sounded befuddled. _"With a _slave_?"_

_Oh gods,_ Nico thought, heart thrashing in his chest. _She knows him?_

Anubis seemed to know exactly what to say. _"Ah, I figured there would be confusion. It is completely understandable. But, as the stories go, didn't he leave these dwellings centuries ago? He had plenty of time to change his habits in that time. Besides, the boy here has Gwillym son of Apollus's symbol on his collar and just _reeked_ of dragon when we first encountered him. At the very least, we should make sure if this is his slave or not, and not leave everyone uncertain."_

Lou relaxed visibly. _"I suppose that's true enough. Come, he's staying with me and my mate just over this next rise."_

_She knows him,_ Nico decided, keeping his head down as they flew onward. He scratched absentmindedly at the cuffs around his wrists. _Is she one of those friends he mentioned? I vaguely remember a name like Lou, but… It's been a while, I might be wrong._

They landed on a flat slab of mountain that wasn't already occupied by dragon. It seemed there was a crowd gathering just outside Lou's caves, all of them mumbling unhappily to each other.

_"You're all here _still_?"_ Lou groaned, stamping her foot to draw attention away from the cave entrance. _"We've already told you, he won't come out! He said he's done planning for a war that will never happen!"_

_"Like Hadis, witch!"_ one spat. _"This war is going to happen, so we _need_ him to help us with planning! He was essential for the last war!"_

_"Without him, how will we heal our wounded?" _said another.

_"Or make the days longer so we can fight longer?"_ added a third. _"The gods aren't helping us!"_

Lou growled viciously, causing the first row of dragons to back up a step. _"He'll do what he wants, you imbeciles!"_ she snarled, wings ruffled up. _"He can't fight in a war he doesn't want to fight for! Why can't we allow the others a chance to rise at the chance of fame? He's done his share enough for five lifetimes already!"_

_"You're the imbecile!"_ barked a male, baring his teeth at Lou. _"Why does he call such a scamp like you his comrade? It's obvious he's just caving a bit because of all those nights you kept him up without any sleep! What the Hadis would your mate feel about that?"_

_"We have done _nothing_, you—"_

_"Lou,"_ another voice piped in, much calmer than the rest. A green-brown male walked forward and pressed his muzzle into her neck. It must have been her mate. _"Let's not heed what they're spouting in mind, my dear. We have to remember that we're helping Gwillym as our _friend_."_

_"Cecil,"_ Lou said in a whining voice. _"Are you siding with _them_? You know how badly Gwillym's been taking his stay here! Don't you remember when he first arrived?"_

_"I do,"_ Cecil admitted. _"But it's within reason to ask of him to assist us as his friends and allies to fight for—who are they?"_ He blinked at the newcomers.

Nico flinched and ducked his head down, having unconsciously raised it to watch the brawl with curious eyes. Anubis answered. _"We are here to see Gwillym, son of Apollus."_

_"They say they have his slave,"_ Lou added with a vague gesture of the head. Nico felt the crowd of dragonfolk's eyes all narrowing down on him, and so he tensed up and mechanically straightened his spine.

_"Gwillym?"_ Cecil wondered with the same puzzled voice Lou had sported earlier. _"_Gwillym_, with a _slave_?"_

_"Yeah, hold on."_ Lou turned to the cave entrance and ordered everyone away, some sort of invisible barrier shoving them unceremoniously to the side. The magic-caster shouted into the mouth. _"GWILLYM, GET YOUR ARSE OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! THERE ARE DRAGONFOLK HERE WANTING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING!"_

A voice, so achingly familiar that it set butterflies tumbling around frantically in Nico's stomach, shouted back from inside the cave, sounding peeved and frustrated and _tired_. _"Tell them I don't want it! I don't need some poor excuse of a lie to get me to go back to the useless paperwork and meetings! Send them away!"_

_"These are dragonfolk new to Faerok!" Lou pressed. "They say they have your slave!"_

A pause. _"I don't _have _a slave!"_ The dragon's voice sounded confused.

Anubis snorted. _"I believe you do, Gwillym son of Apollus,"_ he called out, seriousness dripping from every syllable. He gave a healthy amount of silence to raise the gravity of the situation. _"After all, you want your Angel back, don't you?"_

Another agonizingly long stretch of silence came from the cave, and even the audience they had was completely silent as a giant form of glittering gold and white walked out into the sunlight. Nico was forced to keep his head down, but he could still see the slight limp Gwillym seemed to have, making his trek even slower and deliberate. His heart plummeted to his feet. _He was injured._

Gwillym stopped just outside the mouth, just standing there. Was he surprised? Shocked? Angry? Nico longed to raise his head and find out, but he kept up his act. He _had_ to, especially with their too-curious audience watching on from the sides.

Feathers and scales rustled as the dragon shifted his mighty wings as though he hadn't used them in a long time.

_"Come,"_ Gwillym broke the silence, voice quiet and unreadable. _"I'll take you to where we can speak in private."_

They took off into the mid-afternoon sky, with Nico's heart left behind on the ground below.


	16. Faerok Arc (Part 2)

**_Part Two of: _****Faerok Arc**

_"Alright then,"_ Gwillym began, morphing into his human form, wearing clothes that were certainly not his favored red-brown trousers. "Many of those living in this dwelling cannot speak humantongue. So, while we cannot be entirely in privacy, we can still talk like this. Now _explain_."

Anubis urged Nico off of his back with gentle touches of the muzzle so that he could take on his human self as well, slipping the saddle from his back. Hazel did the same and looped arms reassuringly with Nico, who still kept his head bowed.

"We have come from across the sea," Anubis said, body angled slightly towards the knight to further strengthen his protectiveness. It seemed neither of them liked whatever expression Will had on at the moment. "I am Anubis, Egyptian god of the dead. And this is Hazel, daughter of Pluton."

Will sniffed. "You already know my name," he muttered. "But I am Gwillym, son of Apollus. Why did you bring him?" he gestured towards the knight, who tensed back up out of instinct.

"He wanted to come back," Hazel told the dragon, squeezing Nico's arm gently. "Shortly after arriving in Hypnotis's territory, to be honest."

Anubis nodded his head. "Indeed. But he was severely weakened by his long journey. Hypnotis kept him asleep for a good five days alone so he could recover, and used these past months to train him."

"Train him?" Will wondered. "Hypnotis?"

After looking around to see if anyone in the immediate area was watching, Anubis turned to Nico. "Show him, if you would."

Nico stayed still.

The god sighed. "Ah, yes. Of course." He turned back to Will. "You are his master, Gwillym son of Apollus. Go ahead and command him to show you."

"_What_?" Will sounded horrified. "_Command_ him? He's—He's his own master! He can do whatever he wants!"

Anubis chuckled and turned back to Nico. "Well, that was easy, wasn't it? You got your permission, Nico. Go ahead."

Sighing, Nico let the black silk around his wrists fade back into the shadows. He even raised his head for good measure. His neck ached from keeping it in that position for so long.

Will's eyes were wide in shock and dulled of color and had bruise-like smudges under them from countless sleepless nights. His skin was a shade paler than Nico had last seen it as, and he was wearing a long-sleeved white button-up with a blue vest and loose-fitting navy blue pants. He looked professional. But that wasn't _Will_.

Will never dressed like that. Never had a sleepless day of his life. He was life itself: vibrant, energetic, ready to go. He wasn't the sagging, exhausted and powerless man Nico saw before him.

The man who was currently gapping at him like he'd seen a ghost.

"You…" he choked on his own words. "You used your powers…?"

Biting his lip, Nico ducked his head back down out of sheer guilt. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Why?" Will said back, just as quietly. Tentatively, the dragon took a step forward.

Anubis blocked his way, glaring warningly at the blond. "You harm a hair on his head…" he let the threat trail off, looming in the air heavily.

"I wouldn't hurt him!" Will snapped, growling at the god. He shifted from foot to foot restlessly. "I just want to _know_."

"Anubis," Nico mumbled softly.

Exhaling, the god backed off, clamping a solid hand on the knight's shoulder before letting it fall and walking off to the edge of the flat-top they had decided to talk on, giving Nico and Will space.

When Nico looked to Hazel next, she also sighed. Her golden eyes were weary and concerned for Nico's well-being. "You can back out if you don't feel safe," she assured him before kissing his cheek and joining Anubis reluctantly.

Taking a deep breath, Nico turned back to face Will.

The dragon's eyes were focused on his neck. "What is...?" he faltered. Without questioning his obvious apprehension, Nico raised his chin so Will could see it. The blond stepped closer, fingers almost brushing the metal. "My symbol," he murmured knowingly, not letting himself touch it. His hand trembled slightly, and he looked hesitant.

Nico lowered chin so he could look the dragon in the eye. "It was…" Nico coughed and cleared his throat. "It was the only way I could have gotten in these dwellings."

"So you were trained?" Will laughed once, bitter. "Trained to be my _slave_?"

The knight nodded. "I would have…erm… I would've come back sooner if I didn't have to…"

Will stilled, blinking down at the smaller man.

Nico crossed his arms with a stubborn huff, turning his head away. "Stupid dragon," he growled softly.

Said dragon's lips twitched, as though he was going to smile. The sight eased Nico's worries a touch. "I haven't seen you in _months_ and this is the apology I get? I'm wounded, angel." His blue eyes brightened considerably, sparkling with remembrance.

"I already said I was sorry, dragon," Nico huffed, slipping into the familiar territory of sarcasm with deep relief. His shoulders relaxed. "What more do you want?"

Will tapped his chin with mock-thoughtfulness before he smiled. "How about an explanation, then? I feel I'm in need of one of those."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Anubis and Hazel did good on that already, haven't they?" he asked, boot scuffing the ground as he shifted his weight.

"Not on everything," the blond murmured.

Sighing, the knight shook his head. "What do you want to know?"

Will jumped at his chance. "Where were you?"

"I was across the sea, within the territory of the god Hypnotis."

"Hypnotis," Will said, recognition flaring at the name. "The god of sleep, right? How long were you there?"

"Since I, uh…ran off." Nico looked away, grimacing. "Sorry about that."

Will didn't look that upset any more. "I'm just glad you're back, angel," he told him seriously, lips tugging up in a familiar smile. His mouth didn't seem to remember exactly how it was done, and left it slightly awkward. He looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard. "What sort of training did you do, with becoming a slave and whatnot?" he asked, voice quiet.

Nico glanced around also, glad that Hazel and Anubis still had their backs to them. "You know, just the basics… I had to learn the laws of the slave and how to do certain things to the acceptance of my master. All of that. Plus, you know, my other training…"

The dragon nodded. "The shadow thing." He looked curious. "Could you show me, again?"

"Um…" Nico fidgeted.

Will tilted his head, eyes pleading. "Angel?"

_You spent months away from him to learn to control what you feared most,_ Nico thought, steeling himself. _You can fucking _do it_, Nico di Angelo. This is what you've been training to do._

Breathing in deeply, Nico nodded to himself. He concentrated.

He held out a hand and showed Will the shadows swirling in his palm.

Will blinked at it and edged forward, examining the dark orb with curiosity. He held out his own hand. "Can I?" he wondered, flashing his eyes to Nico's.

The knight could only nod.

He gingerly let his hand pass through the shadows, almost caressing them. The shadows curled against his skin as though greeting an old friend. "It's pretty," Will said, awed. A spark of light lit the dragon's palm, and the shadows licked them feebly before going back into Nico's skin, skin warmed where the shadows retreated. Will flinched back and looked guilty. "Oh, gods, sorry about that. Habit."

Nico had to laugh, albeit faintly. "It's alright, dragon," he said, smirking up at him.

Will relaxed and allowed his hand to fall down onto Nico's, warm meeting cool. His fingers curled around the knight's uncertainly. Smirk softening, Nico let their hands fall but did nothing to pull himself away from the dragon. The feeling was familiar and did wonders to ease the man's racing heart. It didn't, however, do anything about the butterflies.

"Was there anything else?" Will asked, breaking the silence in a soft voice. He squeezed Nico's hand. "Anything that I need to know?"

"A couple other things," Nico admitted. He returned the pressure gratefully before continuing. "One, Hypnotis was probably the reason you stayed here in Faerok for as long as you did. He told me he was sending you dreams or whatever to keep you from going back to Delvwin."

Will's eyes popped wide, face paling then flushing bright red in rapid succession. Nico frowned. "That was _him_?"

Nico nodded. "It leads into another important factor. If you had gone home to Delvwin…well…" He shrugged. "You would have been ambushed?"

With narrowed eyes, Will cocked his head to one side much like a confused puppy. "Ambushed how?"

"Like…" Nico fiddled with the hem of his shirt, his other hand still held captive by the dragon's. What with all of the anger Will had portrayed about 'useless war-planning', Nico was rather wary of how he would take the truth. "The Lord's forces waiting to assassinate you?"

It was obvious Will recognized the title, and he looked absolutely _livid_ about it. Nico flinched at the anger even though it wasn't directed at him. "The Lord?" he said, deathly quiet.

Nico winced at the tight grip the blond had on his hand. "Hypnotis told me soon after I arrived in his territory," he admitted. "That you were in danger."

Will was silent for a long moment. "So what you're saying is... an actual _war_ is coming?"

The man bit his lip and nodded slowly.

The dragon released a deep shuddering sigh. "Gods _damn_ it," he bit out, grimacing. "_Schist_."

"I'm sorry," Nico mumbled again.

"No, no, don't be!" Will exclaimed, pulling the knight closer by the hand and clutching it to his chest. Nico could feel the dragon's heartbeat under his shirt. "You weren't the one to—gods, there was really a war being planned. _Schist_. I…" He sighed sharply, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair. "I really do have to help them out, don't I? Dammit."

Nico looked up at Will, feeling a weight settle heavily in his gut. "You don't _have_ to, Will," he told the dragon. "I'm just worried for you, is all. I didn't want you to go back home to a swarm of dragonfolk lying in wait to remove your head. Besides, you look like you could really use some sleep."

Will smiled wanly. "Can I blame Hypnotis for the nightmares?" he sounded tired and halfheartedly hopeful.

Anubis returned to Nico's side. Will dropped Nico's hand like it was made of fire. "If you're in need of sleep, son of Apollus, go on and head back to your dwellings. Hazel and I have to be heading on our way soon, before dragonfolk begin to get suspicious."

Nico turned and looked at his lookalike, frowning. "Already?"

Hazel looped arms with Nico on his other side. "Forgive us, Nico," she said, looking saddened. "Hypnotis has summoned us again. We should head back and offer protection to him while this threat of the Lord looms overhead."

Nico deflated. He had hoped a couple more days with them to help adjust to Faerok. "Oh."

Hazel kissed his cheek. "It'll be okay, Nico," she promised him, offering a small smile. "We'll come back to you wherever you may be as soon as the heat dies down, I swear on the river Styx." She turned her attention to Will, who was watching in silence. "You'll take care of him, you hear?" she addressed him. "_Very_ good care. Or else you're going to have to deal with two gods and a demigod. He's like a brother to me and a son to Hypnotis, so don't you _dare_ let him get hurt."

Will looked surprised by the venom in her voice. He nodded, speechless.

Anubis smiled. "Good to hear that you understand," he chuckled good-naturedly. He put a hand on Nico's shoulder and squeezed. "He is like a brother to me, as well. It would be saddening if we heard something happened to him."

Despite being called a brother, Nico felt strangely like he was a fiancé being handed off from his parents to his would-be husband. It set the butterflies in his stomach into overdrive.

Will actually managed a weak smile and nodded again. "I have no intention of hurting him," he promised. Then he frowned. "Must you leave so soon, though? Certainly he would be more comfortable if he knew he didn't have to be forced to me like this…"

Hazel shook her head. "No. We'll trust you to let him go if he wants that. So, we trust you not to hurt him, as you promised not to. Just make sure the other dragonfolk of Faerok don't hurt him, either, alright?"

They pushed Nico gently to Will, and turned into their bird-dragon forms. _"Alright?"_ Anubis repeated, tapping Nico one last time with his nose.

Will deeply bowed to them. "I would die before they could lay a claw on him. I swear it on the river Styx. And, ah, thank you. For bringing him."

_"Of course,"_ Hazel murmured, wing brushing Nico's side. _"You take care of him too, Nico. I'm sure he'll be a handful, if all your stories are true."_

Nico smiled and laughed breathlessly, heavy-hearted at seeing them go. "I will, thank you. I wish you wouldn't have to go, but… Take care of Hypnotis. Give him my thanks."

They nodded, and took off.

When they were merely specks on the horizon, Will turned his head back to Nico. The knight's vision was blurred with tears.

"Oh, angel," he breathed, pulling the man closer to him. He brushed away the tears. "They were all you had over there, weren't they? I'm so sorry."

Nico blinked the droplets away and smiled at the dragon. "It's okay," he whispered, still feeling the brush of feathers against his skin Hazel had used as her farewell. "This is what they wanted, too. To see you safe."

"You actually, I'm certain," Will seemed to agree. He smiled back, shy. "…Well, should I take you over to the caves I'm staying at? I'm sure Lou Ellen and Cecil are waiting quite impatiently for our return."

Nico moistened his lips. "Alright," he murmured. He ducked his head. "But I'll have to retain my slave-act, won't I?"

"Not if I order you not to," Will chuckled.

The knight was pleased with the sound. "I suppose that's true."

Nico let his hands be engulfed by the blond's. Their eyes met, blue and black. And they smiled. It was as if they hadn't left each other for an instant, rather than months without so much as a glimpse of the other.

"I missed you, angel," Will admitted, lacing fingers with the knight. He was warm.

Nico's gaze softened. "I missed you, too, you idiot dragon."

Will glanced over the man's shoulder and blanched, dropping Nico's hands suddenly. "How about we go back, then?" he said unsteadily in a whisper, keeping his eyes fixed on the point over the knight's shoulder. Nico kept himself from looking despite his curiosity.

"Very well, master." Nico's voice was calm and practiced. "Shall I be heading straight for your chambers, master?"

"No," Will advised, understanding leaking into his voice. He put on his own acting face, though it looked a bit unused. "You'll remain by my side until otherwise notified. Understood?"

"Understood, master."

"Good." He gave himself room and morphed into his dragon form, spreading his wings and lowering his form to make it easier for Nico to clamber onto his neck. _"Let us make haste, then. Shouldn't keep them waiting."_

"Of course, master Gwillym."


	17. Faerok Arc (Part 3)

**_Italics=dragon talking, thoughts, dreams_**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Three of:_**** Faerok Arc**

_"Wait a minute,"_ Cecil began slowly, blinking yellow-green dragon eyes down at the human standing at Gwillym's feet. _"That's _actually_ your slave? What the Hadis?"_

Nico held perfectly still, though he would have much rather been responding to them. But despite his obvious displeasure, Gwillym had told him as they flew over that they would keep up the slave-act for the other dragonfolk of Faerok, even his friends. They had only been together a few months after centuries of not seeing each other, and Gwillym just hadn't worked up the nerve to trust them entirely yet.

Lou Ellen, rather than looking completely stunned like Cecil, was more relieved than anything. _"At least they weren't lying when they brought him in,"_ she breathed. _"I was a bit worried they were trying to threaten you or something. I'm not sure. How long have you had him?"_

_"Around two years or so,"_ Gwillym replied flippantly, a wing lying heavily over Nico's head like an umbrella. It was his way of telling Nico that he was there and wouldn't let anything happen to the knight, even though Nico was in such a vulnerable position.

Cecil tilted his head. _"Why haven't we heard of him before now, then?"_ His eyes narrowed in suspicion, like he finally caught on to something. _"He ran away, didn't he?"_ he guessed.

Gwillym drew his head up in an intimidating way. _"He fled to save my life, Vececilous. Nothing worth punishing him for, which I'm certain you were about to suggest."_

_"Of course I would!"_ Cecil cried, clawing the ground. Nico couldn't tell if he was angry or exasperated. _"If a slave runs, he broke the First Law! He'd need to be punished or get burned at the stake by the council!"_

Nico's heart stopped.

_"Vececilous is correct,"_ Lou said, looking nervous at Gwillym's growing anger. _"Don't think you do not know it, Gwillym. If your slave isn't punished in some way or form, he'll be forced to partake in a trial by the elders. It would only be a death sentence for him."_

Gwillym snarled viciously, making his friends reel back in shock. He leaned over Nico's relatively small form protectively. _"They touch him and they'll feel my fangs tearing out their throats," _he promised.

_"Then just punish it!"_ Cecil said, shaking his head. _"I don't know why you're so protective over a slave, but if you don't want it suffering, just make the punishment small yet noticeable by the council! Gods almighty, Gwillym! It's just a slave!"_

_"He is my only!"_ Gwillym snapped back. _"Besides, why must I punish him for saving my life? It's not what he deserves!"_

_"The council will not see that, Gwillym," _Lou tried to inform him without making him snap. _"You know this. It'd be best for everyone and him if you just…made it _seem_ like you're punishing him, at least."_

Gwillym snarled sharply, the wing against Nico's head pressing harder until a noise of pain was forced from the man's throat. The weight vanished in a split-second. _"Sorry, sorry!"_ Gwillym cringed, making a high-pitched whine right next to Nico's ear. _"I didn't mean to hurt you, angel."_

_I know,_ Nico thought back, closing his eyes.

Gwillym exhaled, warm breath ruffling Nico's dark hair.

The dragon lifted his head and looked at both of his friends. _"I'll…think on it,"_ he muttered, very much reluctant about submitting. _"But for now, I want him to be as comfortable as possible, alright? Let me give him a week or two to adjust before he has to be disciplined."_

_"Alright, Gwillym,"_ Lou agreed before Cecil could say anything. She bobbed her head to the golden dragon. _"You'll do as you feel best."_

_"And you'll help me, right?" _Will sounded hopeful, though just the slightest bit. _"He'll be staying with me, in my nest—he won't take up your space and he'll be my concern alone. Just… Could you help me make him feel comfortable? He's rather used to the old caves I had back in Delvwin, I'm afraid, and I would hate it if my two closest friends were unkind to my first…ah…slave…"_

If they were suspicious to Will's obvious reluctance towards calling Nico his slave, they didn't show it. _"Very well,"_ Lou agreed, regarding Nico with obvious interest. _"If that's what a friend of ours wants, then we'll be kind to your slave."_

Cecil grumbled, but didn't argue.

Nico felt himself relax just a little bit. He wasn't going to die today.

Gwillym turned his head and looked down at Nico. _"Angel,"_ he said.

Nico's voice was that of a drone's. Emotionless and obedient. "Yes, master?"

_"I'll take you to the baths to wash up,"_ he said calmly. His acting skills were returning. _"Let you get rid of months of dirt and grime. Then, how about we try for some sleep? I'd like sleep after all that's happened, and I'm certain you would too."_

Nico was in no way ready to go back to sleep. He was still certain Hypnotis's dream-charm was still in effect, and there was still adrenaline currently pumping through his veins with every beat of the heart.

He let Gwillym take him by the hand (in human form, of course) and lead him deeper into the tunnels. Lou Ellen and Cecil watched on in silence, not making a move to follow. They were probably worried of Will's reaction if they tried to object to him letting a slave use their baths.

Nico was almost glad Will scared them. He was safer that way.

The blond took him down the dark labyrinth in relative silence, the warmth of his hand being the only source of comfort the shorter male got. The tunnels seemed to stretch on forever, or perhaps it was only the rapid fluttering of Nico's heart that made the trip seem longer. Everything was dazed, foreign surroundings blurring together.

Finally, Will pulled the black haired knight out of the tunnels and into a room, calling upon light from his free hand to float around and illuminate the baths.

He turned to Nico, looking sheepish. _'Sorry about this,'_ he mouthed before making a zipping motion in front of his mouth. They couldn't speak openly. _'Someone might overhear.'_

Nico nodded, managing a weak smile to reassure the dragon.

Will didn't look very reassured.

He led the knight deeper into the room, holding an orb of light in his free hand. "Take off your clothes," he told Nico, not looking at the man when Nico glanced up. "There's a spring in front of us that I can warm for you. Let's get you cleaned up."

Nico's cheeks warmed, but as a slave he clamped his mouth shut and yanked off his shirt. He hoped that they would be able to actually talk soon almost as much he was hoping the dragon wouldn't be watching while he bathed. His cheeks burned at the thought.

He stripped down entirely and tapped Will on the back. The dragon took this as a sign that he was ready and walked him to the pool of water in the center of the room, turning into his dragon form as Nico eased into the cool water. He sat near the edge where he was only naval-deep. Gwillym settled down onto his side in the water, Nico's bare back pressing against his foreleg. His fire glands lit up his jaw and throat, and he laid his head down in the water, eyes closed. The water steamed and warmed around Nico.

The knight hadn't had a hot bath in ages, and it burned against the strain in his muscles. He exhaled a soft moan, drawing a chuckle from Gwillym, though the dragon didn't open his eyes.

_"We have no soap or herbs for the water at the moment,"_ he murmured in an apologetic tone. _"So this is all you'll be able to get until I can go out and get you something."_

Nico huffed in amusement, breaking free of his act just the slightest bit. "Why do you spoil me so, master?" he teased.

Gwillym snorted. He peeked open an eye and met Nico's dark colored ones. _"You saved my life, angel,"_ he told the man seriously, nudging him with a wing tip. _"You deserve everything I have the power to gift you with and more. The council and their 'discipline' can go to straight to Tartarus."_

Nico hadn't expected such a truthful answer. "But, master…" he whispered.

The dragon's head twitched. _"No buts, angel,"_ he scolded gently, and Nico bit back a curse. He couldn't question or challenge his master in any way. How could he have forgotten?

"Sorry, master," he mumbled.

Gwillym settled his wing tip on Nico's shoulder, breath fanning the man's face. _"Think nothing of it, angel,"_ he soothed, eyes closing again. _"I just do not want someone overhearing to want you disciplined any more than they already do."_

Nico touched the feathered wing on his shoulder and smiled. "Thank you, master."

The dragon gave an interesting-looking smile, and removed the weight from the knight's shoulder. _"How about you soak for a few more minutes, and then we go on back to my nest to sleep?"_

The man nodded. "Very well, master."

They lapsed into a contented silence, one Nico had been sure they would have lost after months of not seeing each other. It was as if the trust had always been there between them, and resurfaced the moment Nico decided to venture back. They behaved as though they had been together throughout everything, sarcasm and warmth and joking holding the same closeness as it had back when they had been travelling together.

The knight's heart was swollen with relief.

Nico soaked for a few minutes as the dragon had advised, scrubbing the dirt and dried sweat from his skin while Gwillym kept the water warm with his fire glands and pretended to be asleep. After the knight felt that he was finished, he shifted in the water and laid a hand on the dragon's foreleg.

"I am finished, master," he murmured.

Gwillym grunted and raised his head, blinking sleepily. _"Yes,"_ he rumbled with a gapping yawn. (A/N: I just yawned too. Thanks so much, Will.) He got up slowly, water splashing and dripping from his scales. _"Let's dry you off and get your clothes back on, then. Then we can sleep."_

Nico bit back a laugh. "Yes, master."

The dragon nudged Nico's back with his nose, warm breath almost instantly drying the man off. They climbed out of the pool, Gwillym's breath serving as the dryer before Nico could finally step back into his clothes and the dragon could open his eyes.

Gwillym returned to his human form, hair rumpled and everywhere. He was back in his red-brown trousers. He slipped a hand into Nico's. "This way, angel," he murmured, leading him out of the room. He took the light-orbs back into himself, and everything became unsettlingly dark again. Nico blinked and adjusted to the darkness, looking at the now gold-tinged Will.

"Shall I be sleeping in your nest, master?" he whispered.

Will nodded in the darkness. "You should, yes. Safer and more comfortable there than on the ground, at least. There will be plenty of room for you while I'm in this form. We can sleep as far apart as will be comfortable for you."

Nico hummed. "Very well, master."

Heading off into another dark room, Will summoned more light and murmured something that made a boulder appear in the mouth of the room they'd just entered. The cavern was a simple dug-out hole furnished with dragon-sized chests and furniture, including the way-too-messy nest of furs and feathers that reminded Nico of the much smaller one Will used to make while they camped outside during their travels. There was even a human's desk and chair up against one of the walls.

"Welcome to my dwellings," Will offered Nico a tiny smile. "Forgive the fact that this is only a guest cave of Lou Ellen's and Cecil's dwelling. I haven't been here for a long time, and they got rid of the place I used to stay at."

Nico nodded once.

Will looked uneasy. He gestured to the nest. "Go ahead, then. Best take a nap before dinner, then. And we could even go see your hound and horse where I put them at the stables at the base of the mountain afterwards. I got my own horse, too, just as a forewarning."

Nico nodded and walked to the nest obediently. He stopped just outside and removed his boots. "Will you be joining me, master?"

Will made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I will. Just… go ahead."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed, but did as he asked. He curled up in the middle of the giant nest, pulling a scrap of fur over his head, and blinked up at Will from across the room. Will's blue eyes stared back.

The dragon's head tilted slightly to one side, looking like he wanted to say something while knowing he couldn't. He looked…sad.

Nico pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Will?" he whispered.

A shiver ran down the dragon's body. "Yeah," he murmured, eyes flickering over Nico before avoiding him altogether. "Yeah." Slowly, he climbed into the nest with Nico and curled into a fetal position a couple feet from where the other man lay. It was enough to remind Nico that Will was limping, albeit less so than before. They regarded each other in silence.

"Your leg, master," Nico murmured.

"I'll survive, angel. Just go to sleep."

Knowing this was as good as it was going to get, Nico curled further into the furs and closed his eyes.

It was difficult, but eventually he was pulled into sleep with a feeling that reminded him of falling asleep in Hypnotis's temple. It was a warm, contented feeling that he hadn't been feeling the moment before.

A warm weight settled over his shoulders, and a soft sigh escaped Nico's lips.

He sank into dreams.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

"Angel, baby?" a voice called out from the tunnels, drawing Nico's attention from where he was currently working on paperwork at the desk in Will's cave. It had been three weeks since Nico's arrival, and every day had been a chore dealing with the upcoming war and the ever-looming threat of the council 'disciplining' Nico as Will had yet to do anything about him running off. To help with Will's constant sleepless nights, Nico helped in every way he could, even if it was only sorting envelops and taking notes of the importance of the official letters.

"Yes, master?" Nico called back, standing from his chair as the blond walked into the room—lacking his limp, as somehow he'd seemed to heal himself where before he apparently couldn't. Nico blamed it on his untimely departure—and practically skipped up to the knight and grabbed his hands. He spun them in a little jolly circle, a wide grin splitting his face.

"I did it!" he crowed loudly, bouncing on his heels. "I convinced them! You don't have to be punished!"

Nico grinned back. "That's wonderful, master!"

"I know!" Will chuckled warmly. He looked at Nico, eyes glittering, and pulled him into an unexpected hug. "Oh my _gods_," he breathed, absolutely trembling. "I wasn't expecting it, either! Oh man! Aphrodis and Artemis overruled the previous majority, angel! I don't have to punish you!"

Nico held him back, beyond stunned. In the weeks they had been back together, Will would constantly joke and flirt as normal, but he had never touched Nico besides on the hand. He'd seemed too…hesitant, as though forcing himself not to get any closer.

As though hearing Nico's thoughts, Will froze and caught himself, pulling away from the smaller man. "Ah, um…" he winced, hands held awkwardly at his sides. "Sorry…"

Nico frowned.

"Anyway!" Will cried before Nico could say anything in return. "We should celebrate! Maybe Cecil could make something special tonight! And then we can go for a ride on Blackjack and Porkpie! I'm sure you're just aching to move around after being cooped up in here like you have!"

The knight wrinkled his nose at the change of topic, but knew he couldn't do anything to stop it while they were still under threat of being overheard. "That sounds wonderful, master."

Will nodded, his acting face having been perfected to the point that everyone but Nico couldn't see through it. He grinned down at Nico, only the barest hints at uncomfortableness and wariness flickering in his eyes.

Nico gave him a look that clearly said he could see through his mask, and Will's face fell the slightest bit.

"Come on," he said anyway, voice still as bright as before. He gestured for Nico to follow him into the tunnels. "Let's go talk to Cecil about that dinner."

Frown deepening, Nico could only nod and follow obediently. "Yes, master."

He would ask, though. He swore to himself that as soon as things were safer, he would question the dragon about his unusual behavior. And hopefully he would receive a full, truthful answer.

Will had never been one for propriety, after all.


	18. Faerok Arc (Part 4)

**_Part Four of: _****Faerok Arc**

Will wouldn't go to sleep.

Nico watched him from the nest—which was cleaner than before, as the knight had gotten very accustomed to having nothing to do and therefore being forced into cleaning and straightening while Will was off at work and meetings and everything of the sort—cross-legged as the dragon sat slumped over his desk, paperwork piled high on the table.

It was five months after Nico had first arrived, and things were only getting worse. While Nico didn't have to worry about getting punished any longer for running off, they still had the war to worry about, and it was growing closer and closer for the council to decide something.

So there Will sat, for hours on end, not letting Nico help as he slaved away for nights on end trying to get everything done on his own. He even had the nerve to tell Nico to _sleep_, for gods' sake! Like the man had anything else to do with his life as a slave!

Unable to sleep with Will suffering, Nico's only form of comfort was his conscious presence nearby while the blond forced himself to do the impossible. Will still didn't let Nico talk freely, but the knight was starting to think it was more because Will didn't know what to say to him than being afraid of being overheard.

Which was cruel. Nico wanted to talk. Wanted to help in some way.

He was almost certain that Will also knew what Nico wanted, which pissed him off to no end. Why didn't Will _say_ anything?

Will sighed for the umpteenth time from his chair, running his hand through his disheveled blond hair while tapping his quill pen and staring down at the document laid out before him. He looked, sounded, and _breathed_ tired.

Nico was about ready to snap. What happened after that, he wasn't sure, but he knew it was coming. And soon.

"Master?" Nico called softly.

Will twitched and grunted for him to continue.

"Come to bed?"

The dragon exhaled sharply. "You know I can't right now, angel. You, however, should go to sleep. I still have about three…five hours' worth of work to finish here." In five hours the sun would come back up and Will would have to go to a council meeting, Nico was sure. It did nothing to help the dragon's side of the argument.

"Master," Nico said, pleading. "Why do you refuse my help?"

"This war shouldn't concern you, angel," Will said tiredly, having already explained it to him countless times by then. "It's for dragonfolk. I don't want you getting hurt over something like this."

Nico scowled. "Master."

Will sniffed and began scribbling on the paper in front of him furiously. "_No_. I'm not getting you involved in this."

"You let me—"

"Gods damn it, Nico!" Will snapped, swiveling his head to glare at the knight. "Shut up and let me work, or I won't get any of this done in time to present it to the council in the morning!"

Nico hardly heard the words the dragon was saying. All he noticed were the bruise-like shadows under his eyes, more pronounced than when Nico had first seen them months ago when he first came to Faerok. His eyes were bloodshot, the blue in them dulled but flashing currently with irritation and anger. His skin was pale and almost sickly.

It made Nico's heart clench in an unknown way.

Will huffed when no response came, frustrated, and returned to his papers. "Go to sleep," he ordered.

He had never issued a command before. At least, hadn't _seriously_.

And that's what made Nico snap.

With Will's back turned and attention back on the papers in front of him, Nico slid to his feet in complete silence and glided over to where the dragon sat. He wasn't noticed until he put a hand on the dragon's shoulder, making the blond flinch violently and growl at Nico before he could realize who he was growling at. Once he had, his eyes widened a fraction before hardening.

"Go back to the nest, Nico," he said, quiet.

But Nico was in no mood to be listening to orders. "Bed," Nico said, jerking his chin at the nest. "Come rest."

Will's shoulders slumped helplessly, eyes softening with fatigue. "I wish I could, angel," he whispered, voice apologetic and soft. A complete turnaround to his previous behavior. "But I can't. If these papers aren't returned by morning…"

"Will," Nico murmured. He moved until he was practically straddling the dragon. "Please?"

"Angel, please stop," Will begged, pushing Nico slightly to the side gently to coax the man off of his lap. He didn't budge. "I _can't_ sleep right now, baby. You know this."

"You need to," Nico barely breathed, leaning over Will, knees on the edges of the chair. "You'll pass out soon if you don't."

"I _need_ to get this done, baby," Will urged, bloodshot eyes weary and defeated. "Please, can't you just go to the nest and sleep for the both of us? If you get some rest, I'll feel much better. I swear I will. Could you do that for me?"

"Come with me," Nico said, taking the dragon's face in his hands and staring at him pleadingly. "They can wait another day. Please, come sleep with me."

Will shook his head. "I can't."

Nico's eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched.

_Fine then_.

Using his hands as leverage, Nico loomed over Will, threading his fingers through tangled blond locks. They stared at each other for a long tense second, blue and black fighting for control. Will probably thought that he was winning, too.

Until Nico leaned down and kissed him.

The dragon went completely rigid, eyes blown wide, staring at Nico as he moved against the blond's mouth. Will didn't seem to know how to respond as Nico tried coaxing a reaction from him, caught off guard in the most unlikely way possible.

The knight knew he was hopelessly out of practice and was probably very sloppy, but he wanted to get his thoughts across to the dragon no matter the means:

_You're going to bed, one way or the other._

After a few strained moments, Will seemed to understand right as Nico pulled away, trying to follow as the other man retreated. Nico put a halting hand on the blond's chest, stopping him even while relieved he wasn't being pushed away himself.

"Come to bed?" he whispered, eyes half-closed.

Will shivered delicately, cheeks flushed bright red and probably resembling Nico's. His voice was even softer than the other man's. "Very well, angel."

Nico nearly cried out in relief. He swung off the dragon and dragged him by the hand over to the nest, where he followed willingly enough. They climbed in, and Nico was kissing him again, arms wrapping around Will's neck. The blond kissed back heatedly, fingers curling in dark hair, and they fell into something resembling a rhythm even while neither of them had recent practice and were awkward as hell about it.

They somehow ended up with Nico pressed down into the nest, Will positioned above him and breathing heavily. And he was _smiling_.

Nico caught his breath and looked up at the dragon questioningly. "Will?" he wondered.

Will chuckled, a sound that the knight hadn't heard in ages. Nico unconsciously relaxed into the nest. "I know what you're doing with this," Will told him, sounding quite amused but hesitant at the same time. "Nico di Angelo. I never quite deemed you as the _seductress_ type. But after Pholos, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I?"

Nico went red down to his shirt. Defensively, he scowled. "Shut up, dragon."

Said dragon barked out a laugh and nuzzled into Nico's neck, kissing there too. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, angel," he murmured into skin, lips curled contently. "You're right, I need to rest. I just didn't expect _that_ to be what made me see it."

Nico huffed, puffing out his cheeks. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you?" Will grinned and nipped Nico's earlobe, eliciting a strangled yelp from the smaller man. "Why, I'd be happy to."

Nico shoved him away, hard. "Damn you, you fucking idiot."

Will flopped onto the furs beside Nico, much closer than any other night they had slept together in Faerok. He curled against the smaller man's side and set his cheek on Nico's shoulder, blinking at him innocently. "But angel…" he whimpered.

Nico sniffed and turned his head away. "I might have kissed you," he growled, ear tips reddening as he admitted to doing such a thing. "But that does _not_ mean that I'm going to have sex with you, dragon. I just wanted you in bed so you could sleep."

The blond pressed his smiling lips against Nico's neck. "I know that perfectly well, angel," he said, laughing softly. "I was only joking."

"I hate your jokes," Nico muttered.

Will chuckled again, pecking Nico's Adam's apple. "In all seriousness, though," he mused, brushing his nose against the knight's jawline. "I truly wouldn't do anything of that sort with you, you know. At least…not until we're married."

Nico froze and gapped at the dragon. "M-Married?"

"That's the term, isn't it?" Will frowned thoughtfully, chin sitting on the knight's shoulder. "What you humans do with your love partners. Am I right?"

Nico sputtered and sat up fast, fanning his face furiously. "Dragon," he growled with a sharp glare. "You can't joke about things like that." _You might get my hopes up to be crushed._

"But I'm not joking."

The knight blinked down at Will, eyebrows furrowing together. "I won't live as long as you," he pointed out obviously.

"Nico." Will sat up and took the man's hands. "Do you feel any sort of love for me? Any at all?"

Nico's blush darkened. It was a wonder he wasn't overheating. "How does that matter?"

"It matters quite a bit, angel," Will pressed, squeezing Nico's hands. "Do you? Please be honest."

Nico took one look at those twin puppy-dog eyes and caved instantly. "Even if I did," he mumbled, looking down. "I couldn't be with you forever. I _will_ grow old and die, just as everyone, only faster than your kind. You'd only get sixty more years out of me, tops."

"Even then," Will murmured, releasing one of his hands to trail fingertips down one side of Nico's face. "I remember how I felt when I lost you just months ago, and I don't want it to happen again. I love you, Nico. And if I only get sixty years of happiness by your side, then by the gods I'm going to take it."

"I'll grow old," Nico argued weakly, tugging fruitlessly at his one captive hand. "I'll shrivel up and…and I'll be uglier than I am right now. I'll become weaker and weaker and be able to do less as the years go on. Why would you want that?"

Will touched his mouth against the knight's hand. "I've known you for two and a half years now, angel," he said in a murmur. "Us dragonfolk aren't the most captivated sort. We usually take _decades_ to choose a mate if we're desperate enough. You had me groveling at your feet after _one day_."

"You must have been pretty desperate, then."

Will's smile grew. "You're such a tease, angel. I just couldn't help myself." His gaze softened. "The way you handled yourself against me when we first met to when you cared so gently for the wyvern pups. You've had me at a leash since the beginning, angel."

Nico tried to speak, but Will held up his free hand so he could continue.

"After you ran off, frightened by your powers, I was devastated and weak. Normally I could heal myself just fine, but for whatever reason I just couldn't get my powers of self-regeneration to work. After some time had passed, I realized it was _because_ of my devastation that I couldn't heal myself properly. I was sad, lonely, and destroyed. But most of all, I was worried about you. I didn't know if you were alive or not. And that made me realize just how important you were to me."

Will's smile looked strained. "I don't want something like that to happen again," he admitted. "I want to be with you, by your side, where I can ensure your wellbeing and give you the peaceful end that you deserve when you finally pass on. Even if I don't get to spend my entire life with you, sixty years is pretty fucking good." He blinked away tears and locked eyes with the shell-shocked man in front of him. "I love you, Nico di Angelo. And you're the first I've ever felt this way for. The first I can say that I've ever loved."

Nico suddenly couldn't breathe, he was so choked up. "Will…"

Will kissed his hand and glanced at him through thick blond eyelashes. "Do you love me back?" he wondered, tentative. "Even just a little bit?"

The knight melted a bit inside, and nodded.

The dragon relaxed his shoulders, suddenly trembling very violently. Tears swelled in his eyes. "Oh, thank the gods," he breathed, pulling Nico over for a hug. He pressed a kiss into the knight's hair. "Thank you, thank you."

Nico just leaned against him, hand resting against Will's bicep.

Then he remembered.

"Married?"

Will chuckled, just a touch out of breath. "A possibility, for the future," he murmured softly.

Nico ducked his head under Will's chin, skin rosy. He huffed. "Idiot."

"Actually, you know…" Will perked up, obviously not having heard Nico's mutter. "If you're my mate, you wouldn't have to be my slave any longer!"

Nico frowned, skeptic. "Aren't there laws against a dragon and human…?"

Will fell silent for a moment, thinking. "No, I don't believe so. I think they changed that law centuries back when a war hero fell in love with a maiden and the council figured he deserved whoever he wanted. Besides, there aren't any laws like that concerning demigods or humans with strange powers. I think we're fine." He tilted his head to one side. "So?" he wondered. "Would you like to be my mate?"

"Mate…" Nico's face was screwed up in thought. "Like, have you mark me? We wouldn't have to have sex?"

"No, of course not," Will chuckled. "This is just how us dragonfolk promise our mates that we'll be together forever. The marks are a sign just as your human's rings. The consummation of marriage is another level altogether."

Nico exhaled and pulled back so he could look the dragon in the eye. "I won't live forever," he reminded him.

Will's eyes were accepting. "I know."

Moistening his lips, the knight looked away. He let the silence stretch on a few moments before speaking, as Will was patiently waiting for a response. "Can we… ah…" He winced at how weak he sounded. "Can we do it another day? We're both heavily sleep-deprived. We could just be too tired and hallucinating everything."

Will laughed. "I suppose that's alright," he mused. "I'll take a day off tomorrow so we can talk things over and I can sleep some more. Cecil probably won't be too pleased, but I'm certain Lou can keep him from disturbing us."

Nico was unsure about that, but he nodded anyway.

The dragon smiled at him. "And wouldn't it be great, if you didn't have to be my slave?" he murmured, nodding to himself. "You wouldn't have to listen to my orders any longer. Not that you actually _did_, or anything."

Nico snorted. "I'll just become a housewife, if I'm not a slave."

"What? Why a housewife?"

"You won't let me help with anything else. Won't let me help with paperwork or war planning or even just let me go outside and stretch my legs. I'm just stuck here in the caves, forced to clean and take care of Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary and your horse while you're off being a fucking hero." Nico sniffed, miffed. "I've been in a war too, you know."

Will's smile faded. "Nico," he said slowly. "You're anything _but_ a housewife, you know? This thing with the slave-act was just to ensure your safety here. Lou Ellen promised to protect you, and I was just taking advantage of that fact. If you take one step outside of here, I have no clue when or where or who will have you burnt to the ground. I don't want you risking your life for a war that doesn't concern you and your people."

"It concerns _you_," Nico pointed out. "And for humans, if your partner is going through something, you're going through it also. I'm already involved."

"We're not mates _yet_, angel," Will stated, beginning to smile again.

"Like fucking hell, dragon."

Will laughed loudly, holding Nico by the hands and swinging them between them. "I really missed that snarky attitude of yours, baby," he sang.

Nico shoved the dragon off. "Go to sleep already," he growled without any venom behind the words. "You're becoming insomniac. Go on, before the sun rises before you can lay your pretty little mop of gold hair down in that nest."

Will's eyes twinkled, blue eyes soft. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"

Nico huffed mock-irritably. "Idiot dragon," he said, words endearing. He leaned forward and allowed Will a small peck of the lips. "Happy?" he muttered, curling on his side in the furs and feathers of the nest.

Will held a similar position next to him, mouth smiling and hand trailing up and down the knight's arm. "I've waited for that for _years_, angel." He winked. "I am _very_ happy."

Nico blushed and hid it by burrowing himself deeper into the furs. "Go to sleep, dragon," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Will teased. "I couldn't hear you!"

"Go. To. _Sleep_. Before. I. Cut. Off. Your—mmph!" Will cut him off with a kiss.

He drew away from Nico's mouth with a loud smack, smirking down at the disheveled knight. "Good night, angel."

Nico growled and turned on his other side so the dragon was facing his back. His face had darkened again, and he was doing his best to hide it. He didn't want any teasing in the morning. "Just fucking sleep, you dragon."

A deep warm chuckle came from Will's chest, easily felt now that the blond had spooned up against his back. Arms wrapped around his waist, breath fanning Nico's hair. "I love you," Will breathed, kissing Nico's hair.

Nico slowly exhaled, and relaxed against the dragon's touch. "Alright, Will," he murmured, touching the soft blond hair behind him with soft fingers. "Sleep."

The dragon was snoring softly seconds later, body more lax than it had been for months.

Nico closed his eyes to follow.


	19. Faerok Arc (Part 5)

**_Part Five of:_**** Faerok Arc**

Nico yawned, sat up and stretched his arms high above his head, relishing the cool air above the nest. He blinked open his eyes sluggishly, rubbing at one as he glanced back down into the bed, where Will was still fast asleep, snoring in little puffs with an arm slung over Nico's waist. He looked peaceful, the shadows under his eyes less pronounced than last night.

Nico's gaze softened, fingers finding their way to blond hair.

_I finally did it,_ he thought, unable to keep a small smile off of his face. His fingers stroked soft curls, drawing an almost silent contented sound from the sleeping dragon. _I finally confessed to this idiot. Somewhat._

Nico blinked down at him, smile warm. He sat there petting the dragon's hair for a long while—how long, he wasn't certain. There wasn't a window in the cavern—and just watched over the blond while he was asleep. The knight's stomach rumbled, telling him it was nearly breakfast or lunch time, but he ignored it. A few extra minutes of watching Will finally get some sleep was worth it.

Something flickered in the corner of Nico's eye, and he glanced over. The boulder-door to the cavern dissolved, and Cecil in his dragon form lumbered through.

_"Gwillym, why aren't you—"_ Cecil halted, seeing Nico.

The man held up a finger to his lips, his other hand still resting on Will's head.

Cecil blinked, as though still processing what he was seeing. _"Is he—"_

Nico glared, shutting the dragon up again. "He's asleep," Nico hissed matter-of-factly.

He thankfully lowered his voice. _"Did he finish early, then?"_

The knight glanced towards the piles of paperwork still on the desk and shook his head.

_"Why not?"_ He sounded confused.

"Because I needed sleep, that's why," Will's voice yawned behind the black-haired male. The two others turned to him as he sat up, Nico's hand falling from his hair.

Nico immediately turned sheepish. "Did I wake you, master?"

"No," Will shook his head, touching the man's cheek. "I've been awake for a little while now, you didn't do anything." He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Nico's cheek. "And I'm not your master," he whispered into Nico's ear.

Nico turned scarlet and bit down on his lip, eyes travelling down to the nest below them.

Will chuckled and pulled away, standing. "Good morning, Cecil!"

Cecil snorted, all too calm about Will's unnecessary acts of affection. _"Still calling me that. What is with you and pet names?"_

Will rolled his eyes playfully. "Mind to answer that, angel?" he joked to the man below him.

"It's a term of endearment."

The son of Apollus poked Nico's forehead. "Always so serious," he murmured.

But Nico was done with that conversation. He met the eyes of his 'master', unafraid of the laws telling him he could only do so with direct permission from the dragon. "Will you be going with Vececilous, master?" he wondered. "There is a council meeting shortly, isn't there?"

_"It's already started,"_ Cecil corrected, looking at Nico strangely. _"I came over from there trying to find where you up and disappeared to. Why haven't you finished your work? You know the council won't be happy that you're late."_

"Ah, forgive me," Will sighed, but was smiling nonetheless. "I just haven't slept in a month and angel didn't want me passing out. So, this happened. And thank you, angel. I feel quite rested now."

Nico ducked his head. "Of course, master."

The blond put his hand on the knight's head. "You can go back to the council meeting, Cecil," he told the dragon. "I'll be taking the day off to rest, and pick up where I left off tomorrow. I don't care what they say about it. Just, please, don't make this the fault of my angel. It wasn't his fault. I needed to take it easy a night."

Cecil didn't seem to know what to say, but he bowed his head. _"Whatever you say, then,"_ he muttered. He turned away and headed off, the boulder reappearing at the entrance.

As soon as he was gone, Will looked down at Nico and smiled. "Well. There goes our chef," he said teasingly. "So much for food, huh?"

Nico's stomach growled in response. He scowled with pink cheeks. "Fuck you, dragon."

Will winked and held out a hand for Nico to take, which the knight did out of courtesy. The blond pulled him up and straight into his waiting arms, pressing a light kiss to Nico's mouth before the man could even think to struggle.

"Good morning, angel," he murmured, eyes bright and warm.

Nico exhaled slowly and allowed himself to relax into the dragon's arms. His hands bunched into the dragon's shirt, which he hadn't noticed him wearing the moment before. "Hnn," he hummed back, face burrowed in the fabric.

Will chuckled lowly. "Sleepy still, angel?"

Nico blinked against the blond's shirt. "Mmm."

Will leaned down and brushed his lips over exposed skin in the crook of Nico's shoulder. The shorter man could almost swear he felt a quick swipe of tongue, but in his half-awake state he wasn't too sure.

"Thank you," Will whispered suddenly.

Nico turned his head to look at him. His eyebrows furrowed at the dragon's expression. "What for?"

"For not…" Will exhaled. "For not acting like last night never happened. Letting me kiss you and hold you. I…" He paused before offering a tentative smile. "Thank you, angel. It's more than I'd ever hoped to receive."

Nico didn't know what to say, so he tucked his head back under the dragon's chin. "Mmph," he grunted.

He felt the touch of lips against the top of his head, and the blond smiled against his scalp. "I love you."

Nico shuddered lightly and sighed. "I know," he breathed.

"You love me too, right?"

"We discussed this last night, dragon," the knight huffed, irate. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Will's mouth moved back down to Nico's shoulder, quirking upwards against the skin there. "Just making sure it all wasn't an illusion, angel," he said in a teasing tone. There definitely was a touch of tongue that time.

Nico scowled. "Don't lick me," he ground out as threateningly as he could muster, but it came out more like a half-hearted squeak.

The dragon just laughed. "And why not, angel? I don't see you stopping me."

"I'm not food."

Will puffed out a breath of air from his nose, the air warm and smelling like fire. "But you _do_ taste good," Will stated, trailing the tip of his tongue all the way to Nico's jawline just to prove his point. He licked his lips, gaze appreciative and half-lidded. "_Delicious_."

Nico wrinkled his nose and shoved the dragon off, gooseflesh raised where he had been licked. He gave them an appropriate amount of room to feel comfortable. "Don't. _Lick_. Me," he stressed, hand reaching up to wipe away the saliva trail. His cheeks and ear tips were aflame with heat.

Will winked. "Let's go see if Lou Ellen is still here. She might have some leftovers from breakfast," he suggested, mouth curled in a smirk. He held out a hand for the knight, offering.

Said knight huffed and stayed where he was. "Swear it," he ground out. At Will's puzzled expression, he elaborated. "Swear you won't lick me."

The dragon pouted. "But if we'll be mates anyway…"

"We aren't mates _yet_, idiot dragon," Nico repeated from last night, lips quirking upwards.

Will's eyes twinkled at the reminder. "We can change that, you know," he rumbled softly. His hand was still outstretched towards the smaller male, and he curled his fingers towards himself welcomingly. After a moment, he seemed to reconsider what he'd said. "If you want to, that is."

Nico thought about it for a second before shaking his head. "Breakfast first," he ordered when Will's face fell the slightest bit. "Then we'll talk."

The blond's head perked back up, eyes shining with hope. He nodded. "Okay."

Without Nico's consent, the dragon grabbed his hand and dragged him through the spiraling tunnels, a slight skip in his step. He seemed excited that the knight hadn't outright shot down his offer, perhaps even thinking that Nico had already agreed, just a touch reluctant to let it happen so soon.

But Nico hadn't agreed, not entirely. It wasn't that he was reluctant, either.

He was terrified.

What if things went wrong? What if something happened with the war to kill either him or Will, leaving the other to mourn for the rest of their life? Nico didn't know how long the dragon would actually mourn before moving on, but if he had become insomniac and miserable with Nico just leaving, the knight didn't even want to think about it.

But if the _dragon_ died, how would Nico react? Would he be able to even function? He had become too used to relying on the blond's presence for company, after all. Without Hypnotis and his temple, Nico was certain he wouldn't have been able to sleep if he had even survived that first day.

How would he take losing someone else he loved? Bianca had been his fault, and he felt guilt for that fact every minute of every day. So what if the same thing happened to Will?

He felt sick just thinking about it.

Something warm touched his face.

Nico's eyelids fluttered and he glanced up at Will. The blond held his gaze, not saying a word, but looking like he understood perfectly what the knight's train of thought was. He seemed just as solemn.

Will's thumb brushed over Nico's cheekbone, and Nico leaned into the dragon's palm without thinking. Blue eyes softened.

"Angel."

Nico sighed at the dragon's tone. "Later, please."

Will didn't look happy about it, but he nodded anyway.

"As I was saying," the familiar voice of Lou said, drawing their attention from the sudden tense atmosphere. She was in her human form, hair held up in a ponytail. Lou didn't question Will's actions concerning Nico, having already become used to the small brushes of affection the son of Apollus seemed to save only for his slave. "Vececilous left you some food. I'll warm it up for you before lunch comes by too, alright?"

Nico ducked his head, remembering his place.

"Raise your head," Will said, voice quiet. He tapped Nico's chin until he was looking up again. "Your title as my slave won't stay very much longer, angel. I want you to act as you normally would."

Gritting his teeth, Nico kept his eyes fixed on the ground. "Nothing has been decided yet, master," he bit out. "I am still your slave."

"What's going on?" Lou wondered, eyebrow raised. "Why won't he be your slave much longer?"

Will touched the collar around Nico's neck. He looked about ready to tear the thing off. "I want you to be my mate, angel," he spoke only to the man in front of him, not caring for a second about their audience even when she breathed in a sharp gasp of surprise. "If something happens in that war," his voice faltered. "If something happens, I don't want to die with you as a slave. You'd only get sent to one of my brothers and sisters to be _their_ slave. I don't want that. You deserve more."

"And what if _I_ die in the war? What then?"

"You won't. You'll be right here in Faerok, protected by the title of my mate." Will's voice was final, eyes flashing.

Nico's eyes narrowed to slits. "Dragon," he growled warningly. "If I become your mate, as you say, I _am_ going with you. We discussed this. I am _not_ becoming your housewife!"

"You won't be my housewife, Nico!" he cried out, voice exasperated. "How many times do I have to say it? I just don't want you hurt by something that doesn't concern you! This war is for _dragonfolk_!"

"How about food?" Lou's voice piped in, sounding rattled by the confusing turn of events. "Anyone hungry?"

"How many times do _I_ have to say it?" Nico shouted, paying no attention to the she-dragon. "If I'm your mate,_ everything you do concerns me_! If you want me as your fucking mate, then fucking _understand_ that I'm not standing back while you go who-knows-where doing who-knows-what!"

Will reeled back, looking stunned and angered.

Nico quieted also, raking his eyes over the dragon's face. "Thinking of backing out?" he ground out, almost silent. "Rethinking making me your mate? I'd still be your slave. I know the laws. I know I'll still be your slave even if you command it of me to leave and be free. I'd just be forked over to the next child of Apollus, as you said."

"You were never my slave, though." Will's voice was tiny, faltering.

Nico barked out a short laugh. "You think anyone else is going to believe that, dragon?" He snorted. "And why would they? Why would they think I came to you out of _my own free will_ because I knew you were in danger if you ever went home? Why would they fucking believe that I came to the heart of Faerok just to fucking find you again? Tell me, dragon, _why_?"

Will yanked Nico into a hard kiss, cutting off anything else the knight could have said. His hand fisted a handful of the smaller man's hair while his other gripped Nico's shirt collar tightly.

"I love you," the blond snarled as soon as they broke apart. He sounded breathless. "I love you, and nothing will ever stop that. I will love you through life and death and rebirth. Quit making things difficult, angel. _Nothing_ will change this."

Certainty flooded Nico's chest at the dragon's words. "Then mark me," he challenged.

Will stilled, eyes conflicting with emotion. "But you said—"

"I want you to," the knight urged, crossing his arms. "Don't you, as well?"

"I do, but—"

"But what?" Nico huffed. "You don't want me to be a slave anymore, don't you?"

"Angel—"

"If you don't—"

"ANGEL!"

Nico flinched at the dragon's shout.

Will sighed sharply and placed solid hands on Nico's shoulders. "You're thinking about this all wrong, angel!" he insisted, voice an octave higher than normal. "Marking a mate isn't just to keep them safe! It's certainly a good point, and it's true I don't like you being my slave but…" He squeezed the knight's arms. "I want to mark you out of _love_, not desperation. Not safety. _Love_. And if this is going to happen, I want you to mark me back with that same love. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Nico's shoulders hunched a bit, eyes locked with the blond's.

"So?" Will wondered, voice lowering. "Is that…Is it possible? For us to do it out of love?"

Stepping forward, Nico pressed his mouth to the dragon's. Soft, gentle, shy. Accepting. "I…" Nico cleared his throat against the croak in his voice. "I guess that would be okay…"

Will's mouth curled into a small smile. "After breakfast?" he teased.

Nico's stomach made an angry sound. His eyes flickered to the frozen Lou Ellen standing to the side. "After breakfast," he agreed almost silently.

Will touched his lips to the knight's forehead, right above his eyebrow. "Let's get going, then."

**~ΨΩΨ~**

After a quiet meal—if you counted Lou rattling questions relentlessly to Will _quiet_—Will and Nico headed back to their cavern, hand-in-hand.

Belly full of food and butterflies, Nico wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his calm demeanor for very much longer. After all, what was without a doubt coming as soon as they went in that room was a huge leap in their relationship, far farther than Nico had ever gotten with any of his other partners. He was beyond nervous.

He just hoped the dragon didn't mistake it for reluctance.

They entered the cavern in relative silence, the boulder appearing behind them.

Will collapsed back into the nest not a moment later, pulling Nico down with him. "Oh thank the gods," he groaned, shifting. He pulled Nico on top of him and grinned up at the flushed knight. "I'm still exhausted from last night."

Nico raised an eyebrow at that. "Get some sleep, then."

Rolling his eyes, Will drew Nico's head down until their lips met. "I like _this_ far more," he murmured against Nico's mouth, warm breath rolling over skin. He pecked their mouths together again. "I love you."

"You keep repeating it," Nico groaned halfheartedly, returning the kisses without hesitation. "I've heard it every time, dragon. You don't need to keep making it known."

"But I love you," the dragon purred. He moved his lips over to the man's cheek, then the jaw.

Nico stilled as Will moved down to the crook in the knight's neck, pausing there to suck lightly. "Um…" he croaked, suddenly uncertain all over again.

Will stopped. "Yes?"

Nico burrowed his face into Will's neck. "If we do this…" he paused.

The dragon touched his hair. "Angel?"

"If we do this, you'll let me fight with you, won't you?" he whispered, ducking his head.

"Nico."

Nico sighed deeply, shivering from a sudden chill. "I don't want to be left behind," he mumbled into the dragon's hair. "Please, Will. I want to go with you."

Feeling fingers winding into his hair, the knight stayed silent as the dragon apparently thought over his response. "You love me, right?" he asked, quiet.

"Why do you keep _asking_?" Nico muttered. "You already know how I feel."

"You haven't said it outright yet."

Nico drew back and used his arms on the dragon's chest to brace himself up. He met Will's gaze. "You say it enough for the two of us, certainly," he said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Then let this be your chance." Will's eyes blinked up at the knight, eyes conflicting over comforting and serious. "Tell me why you want me to mark you."

"I—" Nico frowned. "I…um…"

Will's eyes settled on serious. "Go on."

Nico made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. "Why is this necessary, really?" he whined, ducking his head against the broad chest beneath him. "You know how I feel about you."

"And how would I? You haven't said it."

"I…" Nico grimaced against the dragon. He wasn't sure why it was so difficult to say he loved the dragon, because he did, but perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he hadn't said the accursed phrase since Bianca had died. "I mmphhmm…"

"You what?" Will wondered, tilting his head. His eyes were beginning to look warm again, like melting ice.

"I lo…hmm…" Nico winced. "I lo…lo..."

Will leaned up and touched his mouth to black hair. "_Love_."

"Love," Nico repeated, feeling like he was choking down nails. "Love…you."

Will moved his mouth down until he captured Nico's lips. "You don't have to sound like it hurts you to say it, angel," he said, sounding sad.

"Sorry," Nico mumbled back. "I…I haven't…never…"

"I understand," Will assured. He touched his mouth back to Nico's neck. "Your sister, right?"

Nico shuddered and exhaled painfully. He nodded.

Will sucked lightly again. "I can wait."

Nico nodded again and relaxed into the dragon's embrace. He burrowed his face into Will's neck. "So are you…?" he trailed off.

Will breathed a puff of breath against the knight's neck, gooseflesh rising where it brushed. "If you're ready."

Nico's butterflies were merciless in his stomach, but he offered more of his neck to the dragon. "Yes." _Before I lose my nerve._

"Won't be able to go back after you're marked."

"I know." _Just get it over with._

Will exhaled slowly. "Alright. You'll mark me after you know how it's done, right angel?"

Nico nodded.

The dragon's lips pressed more solidly against Nico's skin, in the crook of his shoulder. "Stay relaxed," he advised softly. "This will hurt."

Will seemed to hesitate a moment. Then he bit down, hard.

Nico smothered his strangled yelp of pain in the dragon's hair. His shoulder throbbed and stung.

The dragon held his jaws in place there, tongue sneaking out to lap away some of the blood and ease the pain with his healing saliva. He touched Nico's head, pulling him into his own shoulder. _Go on,_ he seemed to say. _Do it while you can._

Making a pained sound in the back of his throat, Nico complied. His teeth dug harshly into the dragon's flesh, the taste of bitter dragon blood flooding his mouth. Will made an indistinguishable noise, but it seemed urging. His tongue flicked Nico's wound again, so Nico did the same with Will's.

The knight was shivering in pain, but he held it in and tried to remain as relaxed as possible. He knew the pain that would come if he tensed up.

Slowly, the pain ebbed to a distant throbbing, and Nico's head cleared to the new aching in his jaw. He wasn't used to biting down for that long. Had it been minutes? Hours? He wasn't sure.

Eventually, Will let go of his bite in the crook of Nico's neck, tongue swiping the flesh a couple times for good measure. Nico held on a couple moments longer before copying the dragon's actions. His breathing was harsh and shuddering.

Will's breathing was slightly less unsteady, but probably more for the constant healing than holding his jaws in place for so long. His mark glowed yellow, melding into a crescent-shaped scar, a shape Nico was certain was similar to his own mark.

Will's eyes met Nico's, glimmering brightly with tears and emotion. "Finally," he breathed, mouth wide with his smile. He wiped away a stray brush of blood from his lips and pressed his mouth tightly to the knight's. Nico's mark tingled with the contact.

_Mates_.

Nico kissed back slowly, growing sluggish as the energy was drained from him. Will laughed softly in empathy, tongue cleaning the blood from the knight's own lips. "Go to sleep," he advised, mouth moving to the shell of the knight's ear. "Let's let the marks finish healing."

Nico nodded sleepily, fighting the yawn that crept up his throat. He rolled off the dragon and snuggled into his side, mark faintly throbbing at being jostled.

"Don't leave," Nico mumbled, drowsy. It probably came out in a garble, but Will gave an affirmative before kissing him again.

A weight disappearing from Nico's chest, he edged back into the familiar realm of dreams.


	20. Faerok Arc (Conclusion)

**_Conclusion of:_**** Faerok Arc**

Nico made a sound of outrage that was soon echoed by Will.

"They _stole Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack_?!" Nico shouted in absolute fury, voice sharp as a blade.

Cecil stepped back—which was pretty interesting to watch, a dragon shying away from a human puny in comparison, but Nico couldn't care less about the amusement in the situation. He was livid. How _dare_ they take away his best friends?!

Will growled lowly, teeth clicking as he snapped them together. "Why did they think they could do that? What the Hadis _made_ them want to do that?"

Lou exhaled, pawing the stone floor in her own dragon form. It was only Will who refused to leave his human self, opting to stand beside his newly-made mate's side, their hands clasped between them like a life line. _"It may have something to do with you slacking in your duties the other day, Gwillym," _Lou admitted, keeping her voice low as though if she spoke normally she would further enrage him.

He was already furious, smoke puffing from his nostrils with every breath. He didn't need Lou's words to become even angrier. "They weren't theirs to take in the first place!" Will snarled, jerking his chin in a show of aggression. His eyes were narrowed to slits, just as Nico's. "Why the fuck do they think they have the power to do that?!"

"Sons of bitches," Nico agreed, voice solemn and oh-so-cold. "Where could they have taken them?"

"Who knows," Cecil said, trying not to be rude. After Will had introduced Nico again as his mate just the day before, even with Nico still wearing the collar of a slave around his neck to fool the other dragonfolk of Faerok, the dragon had gone out of his way to treat Nico better. "Something concerning the war effort, certainly."

Nico growled under his breath, but not at Cecil. He tapped his mouth with a hardly-contained scowl. "Of _fucking_ course. Pieces of shit."

Will squeezed his mate's hand reassuringly. "We'll find them," he said. "I swear it on the river Styx."

"You'll have to after the war, though," Cecil cut in with a wince. When he wasn't immediately shot down, he relaxed a touch. "They're expecting you to participate in the war effort, Gwillym. If you don't, something worse might happen. I don't mean to be cruel, but they might just go after your mate next."

Lou nodded. "That's true. They don't know that you made him your mate. They wouldn't understand, either. They'd take him away next."

Will growled sharply, Nico holding him back that time around. "Over my dead body," the dragon hissed.

Nico tugged him back a step. "Easy," he murmured, even when he felt the exact same way. "I'm not going anywhere. They cannot force me."

"They very well can, though," Lou warned. "These are the gods and their offspring. It would be all too easy to kidnap or even kill a human such as yourself."

Suddenly, Nico was struck with an idea. A stupid, dangerous, but so very _perfect_ idea. "That's right," he mused, tilting his head. He sent a pointed look Will's way. "They _don't know_."

Lou and Cecil were looking at the man like he was crazy. "Don't know what?" Lou wondered.

Will's eyes cleared with comprehension before darkening into a devilish look that Nico found quite attractive. "What have you got planned, angel?" he said, as though he were just asking about the weather and not something potentially fatal. His scar was fully visible against the bare tan of his skin.

Nico smirked back, and dragged the group closer so he could tell the dragons his idea.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_"You brought a _slave_ into such sacred realms?"_ the eldest of the elder's council—the god of the sky Zesosi—growled, sounding insulted. _"How are we to know this isn't some servant or spy of the Lord? Have you no shame, boy?"_

Gwillym grinned an easy dragon-smile, sitting on his haunches at his place in the counsel, Nico sliding off his back to the marble floor, taking on the persona of a slave beside his mate. _"I got a taste of what happens when I'm a bad boy, lord Zesosi. I have to ensure a similar thing does not happen to my angel. Forgive me if I do not correct myself and take him back."_

Zesosi growled, thunder crackling in the sky, but his mate Hira stopped him from doing anything drastic. _"We have better, more important things to worry ourselves with here,"_ she told the king of the gods gravely. _"If the slave is indeed a worker for the Lord, then we should not have to worry, as it will not be leaving the walls of Faerok anytime soon. Let us move on to why we're here in the first place."_

Zesosi grumbled—something about women, but Nico wasn't sure. Thankfully he turned the attention away from Nico's presence obediently, moving on to the previous topic of discussion. Everyone slowly but surely stopped paying much mind to Nico, all except a certain gold-scaled and white-feathered dragon that wasn't Gwillym.

Apollus, Will's father.

Something clenched in Nico's gut, because now that he and Will were mates, _Apollus was his father too_.

The sun god.

Of music and healing and poetry.

Nico felt the irony hit him hard in the face, and had to bite down on his lip until he tasted blood to keep himself from cracking up. Gwillym most likely smelled the blood, but didn't comment to keep attention from drawing towards them. He did, however, brush the plume of his tail against Nico's leg, the touch acting as his concern.

Nico's answer was merely the twitch of fingers against the dragon's tail tip, but Will settled it back down on the ground to confirm that he'd heard and understood.

The meeting was long and torturous on the knight's stiffened spine, but he refused to break his act. It would soon be over, the sun edging down to rest for the night, and with its end it would be time for his idea to come into effect. He was jittery with excitement and overall hatred for whichever god—his guess was leaning towards Zesosi—had decided it was smart to steal his best friends and companions just to "punish" Will for _resting_.

It was an awful wait, but it finished just before Nico could nod off.

Gwillym settled his wing tip on Nico's head. The sign.

Nico jerked his head slightly, and Will moved on down to the center of the council room, wings unfurling slightly to hang lax at his sides. _"My lords and ladies,"_ he rumbled, drawing the attention of the counsel before they could depart for the night. He sat on his haunches before the king and queen of the gods, and bowed his head to them once. _"I would like to offer my most sincere apologies for abandoning you the day I was not here. It seems your loss that day was too much for you to handle, if my punishment is anything to go by."_

Thunder rumbled in warning, but Gwillym did not back down. He even raised his head to look the king of the gods dead in the eye.

_"So, to further apologize, I would like to offer my reasoning for the unceremonious abandonment I caused you all."_

_"Son,"_ the god Apollus said, cautioning.

Gwillym folded his wings against his back. _"It is alright, Father,"_ he bowed his head to Apollus respectfully. _"I wish to explain this quickly. I will not take up much of your time."_ He cleared his throat and raised his chin. _"I have a mate."_

The wave of murmurs that ensued shared the counsel's confusion and surprise. The all-powerful war hero Gwillym, son of Apollus, with a _mate_? It was unbelievable.

Only a couple seemed to understand, and only one was excited. Hira and Artemis casted knowing glances towards Nico, whilst Aphrodis was squealing happily and skipping in place. Apollus, Will's father, seemed oblivious, even a bit puzzled.

_"Gwillym,"_ he said, frowning. _"What is this? You've never had a mate before, not in all of your life. I thought you were going to take after my sister."_

Artemis bristled at that, but Gwillym was already replying. _"I decided against solitude the moment I met my mate, Father. I love him with my heart and soul. I just offer my apologies for making our relationship solid the day you apparently very much needed my presence."_

Aphrodis bounced on her heels. _"I was _right_! That _is_ a mark, on your shoulder! A mark of love!"_

Gwillym laughed good-naturedly, allowing Nico to relax a touch. _"You have sharp eyes, lady Aphrodis! I commend you for that."_ He bowed his head to the love goddess, before looking back to Zesosi and Hira. _"So, to draw this apology to a close. I hope you now understand why I took a day off, my lord and lady. I would not expect you to be so kind as to return my horses and hound to me, but little things such as that mean nothing, don't they? Well, it does not matter. However, this brings up an even more exciting topic to discuss. So, shall I introduce you to my mate?"_

Gwillym's head rose to the sky and his wings snapped open.

The lights snapped off.

The council gave a chorus of cries, what of shock and surprise and confusion.

Gwillym hummed, and orbs of light illuminated the grand room, fire puffing from his slightly-parted jaws. _"Ah,"_ he grunted, looking around as though surprised. _"Forgive me of this."_

_"Son!"_ Apollus snapped, flourishing a wing until the room was entirely illuminated again. _"What do you think you're—"_

The entire council froze, gazes fixed on Nico di Angelo.

The shadows retreating as the light returned, he stood beside his mate looking up strongly at the king and queen of the gods, the collar around his neck cracking and shattering into tiny pieces of light, dusting over the knight's shoulders and settling around his feet. The last indication of him being Will's property, vanished. All except the mark standing pronounced against his neck, exposed clearly by his low-handing undershirt.

Gwillym laughed softly, wing wrapping behind Nico in a protective manner. _"Forgive him,"_ he said, amusement deep in his voice. _"He is a bit shy, and with good reason. I do hope his manner of appearance didn't startle you too much."_

_"Wait,"_ Artemis cut in, beautiful silver head tilted in curiosity. _"Was it _he_ who cut off the lights, not you, nephew?"_

Gwillym smiled at her. _"Indeed, lady Artemis. He's a special little one, isn't he?"_

Nico snorted quietly, grimacing up at the dragon. "As if, dragon," he grumbled, cheeks flushing pink with all of the attention.

_"Awwwwww~"_ Aphrodis cooed, hopping up and gliding down to where Gwillym and Nico were. She transformed before their eyes, becoming a woman with an ever-changing appearance, constantly becoming more beautiful with every round. Nico frowned thoughtfully as her hair constantly seemed to shorten for him, changing from dark to light colored. She kept going until she almost resembled Will.

She grabbed Nico's face suddenly, causing the knight to flinch in surprise. Turning his face, she took on a look of pure concentration, tilting his face up and down and even turning him around a couple times. She clucked her tongue thoughtfully.

"Good, good…" she mused, fingering his hair with light fingers. "You're quite healthy, now aren't you? Did Gwillym get you herbs and soaps for your baths? Your hair and skin are surprisingly well-nourished. And your body tone is wonderful, if a tiny bit pudgy around the waist."

Gwillym's eyes twinkled. _"I actually managed to get him to gain a couple of pounds! Isn't it wonderful? He's not all skin, bone and muscle anymore!"_

Nico's nose wrinkled. "I'll be sure to lose these gained pounds as soon as humanly possible," he promised the dragon, smirking at Will's immediate drop in optimism.

_"Meeeaan,"_ he whined.

Nico grinned wider.

"And a healthy disposition, too!" Aphrodis observed, patting Nico's cheeks fondly. "You've gotten yourself a nice catch, haven't you darling?" she said to Gwillym, smile warm and sweet like dripping honey.

If Gwillym had been in his human form, he would have been blushing. _"Thank you, ma'am."_

_"Wait wait wait,"_ Apollus's voice cut in, the magnificent golden dragon hopping over on light feet. He transformed into his own human form, ending up looking almost exactly like Will. He took the goddess of love's place in front of Nico, looking the man up and down. "My boy got hitched to you?"

Nico fidgeted, eyes unable to look directly at the god. "Yes, sir?"

Gwillym snorted in amusement, transforming into his own human form to stand beside his mate. He wrapped a snug arm around Nico's shoulders. "He meant _sex_, I believe. Not marked," he corrected gently.

Nico exhaled sharply, cheeks heating on impulse. "Of course he did."

Will kissed his cheek, sending the knight's mark and gut-butterflies into a tingly mess. "Don't worry about it, angel," he soothed, but his amused eyes told a different story, and made Nico blush even hotter and glare at the dragon.

Apollus looked from Nico to his son and back. "Are you a demigod?" he wondered.

Nico just shrugged.

"Hadis?" the god guessed.

"We don't know," Will admitted, arm tightening around the knight's shoulders. "He hasn't been claimed yet, which is probably why no one can smell anything of him. He would have a more pungent scent if he had been claimed as Hadis's son, after all."

"That's true," Aphrodis mused, still looking the knight over with an approving gaze. She turned to Zesosi and Hira with sparkling eyes. "Isn't it so _wonderful_, Zesosi, Hira? Our beautiful hero's fallen in love!"

Zesosi just growled, thunder rumbling in the clear night sky above. _"Why that boy believes that this is a worthy excuse for his actions… It is _not_, I tell you. You, boy, are an idiot. An imbecile to have marked with a mere _human_ in such dire times. The_ _Lord is rising, boy. I once thought you not so foolish, back during last millennia's war, but that view has undoubtedly vanished in these last minutes. You are arrogant, rash, and everything this war does not need."_

Nico scowled at the god's words, but was stopped from stepping forward by a hand to the shoulder. He looked up at Will, frowning at his mate's quiet thoughtfulness.

"Lord Zesosi," Will said, voice quieter than usual. "I would have thought you, my uncle, would understand the idea of love. After all, I have heard of your son and daughter Jason and Thalia. Surprised?" He smiled at the slight widening of the god's eyes. "You shouldn't be. Angel here has told me stories of them. He's a good friend of your son, after all."

Zesosi's gaze flashed to Nico in an instant, and glowered. _"Is that so."_

Will nodded, grin smug. "He's participated in his own war as well, uncle. That last one, at Olympia? He was there. Angel fought alongside with the two-time war hero Perseus Jackson himself."

_"Ah,"_ Artemis mused, turning the attention to her. _"You are Nico di Angelo? I should have known the moment I laid eyes on you. Your sister was a part of my Hunters, wasn't she?"_

Nico shifted from foot to foot, staying silent.

Artemis nodded as though that answered her question. _"Thalia has spoken quite highly of you. You are known as a fine swordsman, di Angelo. I did not know that you had abilities stronger than that. Your sister never once showed signs of possessing underworld powers, either."_

Nico grimaced.

Will touched the knight's cheek, fingertips warm with light. Nico's eyes slid shut, the light easing the guilt in his chest.

Opening his eyes, he lifted a hand and summoned a handful of shadows for the gods, goddesses and demigods of the council to see, then summoned his sword. "I am known as a pretty good dragon slayer as well," he mentioned with a shrug, brandishing his blade.

_"You will be fighting with us, then?"_ one of the honorary members of the council called out.

The sword returning to shadows, Nico grunted. "I sure as hell won't be staying here in Faerok, that's for certain. I'm going with Gwillym."

Will sighed painfully.

_"Unacceptable,"_ Zesosi said. Lightning illuminated the room white. He lifted his chin in authority. _"For all we know, you could be a spy for the Lord. It does not matter if you've fought at the side of the gods before. I will not allow you to take one step outside of this vicinity whilst this war is underway."_

_"Objection,"_ Artemis said, joining her brother and Aphrodis beside the mates. She raised her head to look up at her father. _"If he is strong in his abilities, he could become a strong asset for us in this war. We've already called upon the human demigods to assist us in this war, so why not one more? Besides, I have the feeling that my brother's son will not be going anywhere if his mate is forced to stay behind."_

"She's right." Nico looked at his mate in surprise. Will's chin rose. "After what happened with Nico's horse and hound, I do not want to lose sight of him for a mere _moment_ in this dwelling. I fear for his safety."

_"Then let us vote,"_ another god, Hermini perhaps, piped in. He tilted his green-brown head thoughtfully. _"This _is_ a council, is it not? Let us vote whether or not to include this Nico di Angelo, mate of Gwillym son of Apollus, with us in this war against the Lord."_

Hira stood, cutting off Zesosi's furious reply. _"All those in favor of letting the mate of Gwillym son of Apollus fight at the side of dragonkind, extend your wings,"_ her voice rang out, unreadable itself. She extended her wings.

All dragons except Zesosi snapped their wings open, an array of colors popping up everywhere.

Zesosi made an outraged sound. _"Trickery! He is—"_

_"The council has spoken, Zesosi,"_ Hira said, voice sharp and cool. She looked down at Nico and blinked her brown cow eyes. _"Nico di Angelo, child of the underworld. You have hereby been accepted into the ranks of Olympia and Romanian dragonkind. Welcome to the cause."_

Dragons cheered and blew fire towards the open-sky ceiling, chattering amongst themselves with excitement and renewed hope. They had another advantage to their side, a mate worthy of the hero of last millennia.

Nico didn't notice the chaos going around him. His eyes were on Will.

The blond locked gazes with him, eyes warm and a tiny bit sad. "Looks like we're stuck in this," he murmured, mouth quirking hesitantly. "They're not going to let either of us _not_ fight, now."

Nico grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Will laughed and sighed at the same time, wrapping the man up in his arms. "What will I ever do with you, angel."

Nico nestled his face against the dragon's mark, feeling the slight rise in skin rub against his cheek. He hummed appreciatively and rested his hands on the blond's hips. "We'll make it," he said, voice sure. "I swear it on the river Styx. We'll both make it out of this war alive. Then you can see what to do with me," he added jokingly, jittery at winning against the very king of the gods. He felt like he could conquer anything.

Will's breath brushed over Nico's mark. The knight felt him smile against his neck. "I'll hold you to that, love."

Nico nodded.

***End of Gwillym, Faerok Arc***


	21. Phoenix Arc (Part 1)

**Hello again!**

**I got kinda sick, so please don't scold me for my way of coping with it. Crossovers make me happy.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part One of: _****Phoenix Arc**

"I don't get it," Nico mused, stirring a ladle in the bubbling soup over the campfire before him. "With all of their stressing over this war and not having enough manpower, why are the gods just stepping back and leaving _us_ to do all the dirty work?"

Gwillym rumbled a laugh, laying his reptilian head down beside the crouched knight. _"__They tend to let their offspring do the work, angel, before coming around right at the conclusion to clean up the mess and claim the win."_ He flashed Nico a dragon-grin.

Sighing, Nico plopped and leaned heavily against the warm body behind him, soup forgotten. It was a rather cold night, and he preferred his mate's warmth over the fire's. "So, we start fighting today," he said, voice dark. "Against the Lord."

Silence stretched between them, deafening even in the bustle of dragonfolk and human demigods alike running around just outside the spread of the son of Apollus's wings preparing for when dawn broke. Preparing for war.

Gwillym bumped his nose against Nico's side. _"__Angel."_

Nico looked over.

The dragon's eyes were serious, so large and blue that Nico felt he was looking at the sky reflected in the ocean. _"__I love you."_

Despite the threat looming in the air like a thick and heavy blanket, the knight managed a smile. "Yeah," he murmured, hand resting on his dragon's muzzle. The touch had become customary in the past months readying for this day. "Me too."

"Nico?"

Gwillym and Nico looked up in unison at the new voice, startled at the sight of long lost friends running over to them. "Hazel?" Nico gasped, jumping to his feet. "Anubis?"

Anubis slowed and stopped just before them, but Hazel kept running to catch Nico up in her arms, squeezing the breath from the man's lungs. "Oh my _gods_!" she cried out, tears already budding in her golden eyes. "You're alive! You're okay! Oh my gods, Nico! Oh my gods! What happened while we were away? Why did they let you outside of Faerok? Are you fighting in the war too?"

Nico laughed freely and displayed his neck to them, his lack of collar that had shown Gwillym's possession of him evident. "Will cut the bond," he said, grinning wide. So much more at ease than he was certain the two dragon-birds had ever seen him.

Anubis raised an eyebrow at the golden beast. "How so? There are so very few ways of getting around to that without Nico having to be killed or transferred."

Gwillym chuckled lowly. _"__Ah, but you see… hm, Anubis, wasn't it? Angel was never my slave in the first place. It was easier than expected to get the council to see reason on our part."_

"Cheeky bastard," Nico growled fondly. "Easy my ass."

The dragon winked and butted Nico again with his nose. He looked back to the two newcomers, raising his head and crossing his forelegs leisurely before him. _"__Come. Sit. Angel here was just preparing some breakfast before this morning's activities begin. Weren't you, darling?"_

Nico gasped at being reminded and practically flew to the pot over the fire. He sighed in relief when the soup seemed undamaged. "Shit. Way to give me a heart attack, you fucking dragon."

Gwillym flicked out his forked tongue, eyes amused.

The knight rolled his eyes, flicking a dismissive hand in his mate's general direction before returning his attention to the soup. "I hope you all like mystery meat. Truly, even Will couldn't figure out what this mush smelled like. And the vegetables are low-grade at best. Hopefully it won't be too bad for eating."

Anubis looked on the verge of laughter, examining the pot's contents with avid interest. "Are they trying to kill us off before we even step onto the battlefield?"

Hazel scoffed and lightly struck the god's arm with a hand. "Anubis! Where are your manners?"

Anubis laughed outright.

Nico smirked, then quirked an eyebrow up as a thought arose. "What are you doing here in the war camp, Anubis? I thought the gods abandoned us."

The god rolled his eyes. "I'm Egyptian, di Angelo. I was never one to follow the rules."

The group had a good chuckle over that. They all knew just enough to realize how much the god hated following orders, Egyptian or not.

"Ah." Nico grinned. "Of course. My mistake."

When the laughter died to contented silence a few moments later as though they had never been apart, the knight returned to the cooking soup, which was very close to being done. A sudden gasp made him flinch and burn himself with scalding liquid.

"Ow! _Shit_! What was—"

Hazel grabbed Nico by the collar of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. Her eyes were locked on his right shoulder. "What is _that_?" she questioned, pulling down the fabric just enough to expose the scar to the night air. Her golden eyes narrowed in confusion.

Anubis blinked and tilted his head before his eyes cleared with knowing. A small smile tipped up his lips. "Got yourself someone special?" he murmured lowly, voice laced with laughter.

Hazel's eyes blew wide. "You _what_?!"

Gwillym roared with delight, shaking out his mane of white feathers. His giant head poked in between the halfblood and his mate with mist puffing out his nostrils. He bent his neck to show off his own mark, made even larger with his change in size. It was a strange sight for Nico to wrap his head around. _"__We've been quite busy while you've been elsewhere,"_ he said merrily, grinning. He nudged Nico gently in the stomach. _"__Haven't we, angel?"_

Nico scoffed. "Don't make them think _too_ far into the gutter, you stupid dragon."

A rumble came from the base of the dragon's throat, resembling a purr/laugh that he had adopted over the many months of them being mates. Nico's stomach butterflies fluttered at the sound.

_"__Why, I would never dream it, angel!"_

"Cocky son of a bitch."

Anubis and Hazel watched their exchange with similar looks of amusement and joy.

Hazel clapped delightedly, bouncing on her heels. "Oh my gods, this is _great_! You're with him! You're mates!" She jumped up and down with enthusiasm, pulling Nico down into a tight hug.

"Can't—breathe," he coughed, suffocating. "Too much hair!"

Hazel pulled back with tear-streaked cheeks and started kissing Nico's face, each one feather-light and heartwarming. "Oh my gods, I'm so happy for you! You got with him. And after all your worrying that he wouldn't like you anymore. Oh, I'm so relieved!"

She held the stunned knight's face between her hands, the contrast between their skins prominent and even more so when she planted a light kiss on his mouth. "I'm glad you seem so happy, brother. I really am."

Nico melted inside. He held her hands to his face. "Yeah," he murmured, chest light. He blinked away the sudden moisture in his eyes threatening to bud up. "I am too."

Gwillym's breath caressed the back of the knight's head, ruffling his hair, and Nico felt him brush his muzzle up against his back. The man's mark tingled, radiating the warmth and contentedness that his mate was feeling.

Nico had never felt so loved.

When Hazel wrapped him up in her arms again, using his shirt to wipe away her tears, she turned her head to look back at Anubis. "Come here," she ordered, voice cracking from overwhelming emotions. She held out an arm for him. "Join us. Come on."

Anubis's eyes sparked with warmth, and he walked forward to lay his hands on the embracing two's heads. "I missed this family we had," he admitted softly, fingers knotting in their hair. The touch was soothing to the knight.

"Shut up and hug us," Hazel growled, sobbing and laughing at the same time.

So he did, strong arms bringing the three close together.

Gwillym sat back, watching with warm eyes on his mate as he was embraced by two old friends. He knew he couldn't join them if he wanted his human form to remain a relative secret to the manfolk milling around, probably watching the scene with confusion, but it didn't stop Nico's mark from aching with longing.

Nico sent feelings of love and appreciation Gwillym's way, and the mark heated up in reply with similar emotions. Never before had Nico been able to convey his feelings in such an intimate, wordless way. Not even with Bianca.

Someone cleared their throat.

A man stood there, with a war-styled buzz cut of black hair and a large, well-built body, if a bit on the heavy side. He seemed awkward about breaking up their little reunion, but his eyes rang clear his intended determination and purpose.

"Forgive me," he muttered before anything else, eyes flickering over the threesome before resting on Gwillym, who had raised his head upon the man's arrival.

_"__Zhango, son of Marrow,"_ he greeted, tilting his head in respect. _"__I would have expected you to stand beside the queen of New Rome in such times. That is your designated duty as praetor, is it not? Why have you come to us?"_

Zhango cleared his throat again, shoulders stiffening in authority. He seemed relieved at the new, relatively easier subject of discussion. "I come bearing news from her highness Reyna and the council of the elders. There has been a slight change of plans concerning the way we'll be fighting come dawn."

Extracting himself from the dragon-serpents' arms, Nico nodded to Zhango. "Continue."

Zhango blinked at him but didn't question his right to order the praetor around. He must have seen the mark still visible in the crook of Nico's neck, and the identical one on the son of Apollus's scales. "The Lord himself has called a temporary truce, but the only way this is to be managed is if he gets to speak with Gwillym, son of Apollus and other heroes of the wars this past millennium."

Anubis's eye twitched. "A trap."

Gwillym's chin rose, gaze thoughtful. _"__Most certainly."_

"Even so," Zhango exhaled, looking strained. "It is the closest thing we have to getting close to the Lord. You'll just have to be on your toes and command the other heroes into doing the same. The majority will know you, son of Apollus, so I'm certain they'll listen to your words far more seriously than my own."

_Other heroes,_ Nico thought, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Will Perseus Jackson of Olympia and Jason Grace of New Rome be a part of this group?" he spoke up, feeling dread settle in his gut like a stone.

Gwillym's head twitched, eyes hardening in recognition. Nico's mark burned furiously.

The knight already knew the answer before Zhango even answered, but watched as he nodded. "They shall."

Nico sighed sharply, grimacing. But even then, he looked at Gwillym. "I'm still going with you."

Gwillym didn't show any signs of surprise. Perhaps that was because his mate had drilled it in him that he would remain by his side the entirety of the war. He'd heard it a million times by that point.

Nico's mark ached nonetheless. _"__I don't like this,"_ the dragon grumbled, trying to be stubborn. But it was no use. The feeling in his mark told the man that Gwillym had long ago given in to his mate's wishes, even if he hated it. _"__Even then, I know you'll follow regardless. Best you stay with me if you're going to go."_

Nico smiled crookedly and nodded, just glad the dragon hadn't decided to suddenly chain him down and hope to leave him where it was safe. It had seriously been considered about two months back, when they had still been in Faerok.

Zhango seemed to see something in the sea of soldiers. "You!" he called, pointing and gesturing for the one he'd pointed out to come to him. A super tall and skinny blonde ambled forward, blue and white robes of a magic-user billowing behind him and somehow not being trampled on by the hundreds of people everywhere.

The wizard stopped just outside of their little posse, head tilted to the side and lips smiling easily. "Yes? Ah, yes, that's right. You're that prey-something guy from the nearby kingdom, are you not? Fai-something?"

"Zhango, son of Marrow," the praetor said, voice cutting sharp. Nico wondered what the 'Fai' part was all about. Zhango seemed to recognize it.

The wizard's smile widened goofily. "Hm, yes. Fai was your grandmother's nickname for you, was it not? Forgive me for being so short-sighted. I only recently did my research on the higher-ups of this war effort."

Hazel blinked. "Who are you?"

The lanky blonde raised his eyebrows, still smiling. He somehow managed to emit a feeling of hurt even in his amused appearance. "Why, my dear lady." He lifted his arms, did a spin, and bowed deeply to her. "I am known as many things. You, however, can call me Yuui. Yuui, magician of the North. It's a pleasure to meet you. Levesquelle, daughter of Pluton, correct?"

Hazel blinked, surprised. "Correct."

Yuui's sapphire eyes glimmered. "Wonderful." With a flirty wink, he turned his attention back to Zhango. "I have a brother back home by the name of Fai, you know. Passed away some time ago, but the past is in the past, as the saying goes."

"Getting to the point," Zhango said, ignoring Yuui's fake pout at having his try at small talk avoided like the plague. "Do you know where to find your leader, Master Ginryu of the North?"

Yuui's grin returned, only more mischievous. "I _might_," he purred, fingers skimming down his cheek to his chin in mock-thoughtfulness. "Why might you be wondering?"

Zhango paid no mind to the strange man's antics. "I need you to take these two, Gwillym son of Apollus and his mate, to him. Queen Reyna of New Rome and the elder's council of Olympia have decided that your master will be the one to lead the heroes to the Lord and would require the son of Apollus's personal assistance. Heard that your master's command brings out the strongest of his men's abilities."

Yuui winked and grinned devilishly. "Perhaps."

"So you'll take them?"

The wizard shrugged, stretching his arms languidly over his head. "Why not? I have nothing better to do. Decided to head on back to the master a few minutes ago anyway. Was just headed that way."

Zhango nodded with a stiff "good" before turning his attention back to the four still watching attentively. "Eat your fill and follow him to the master," he told Gwillym and Nico, voice stony. He nodded once to Anubis and Hazel. "Good day."

He left.

Yuui let out a low whistle. "How is it all the hot boys are born down _south_?" he whined, eyes half-lidded and following after the son of Marrow as he disappeared into the sea of moving soldiers. "I mean, for goodness' sake! Even Kuro-chan was born—" He seemed to catch himself, realizing that he was talking aloud. He grinned it off. "Sorry about that. I get too enthusiastic around beautiful people."

Nico backed slowly towards Gwillym, the hot brush of the dragon's breath soothing his nerves. If hot men were born down south, it seemed the loons were born in the north. Or that's what Nico was getting from the entire exchange, at least.

Eyes straying to the fire, Nico returned to the pot to try and salvage the soup before it could burn. The fire was thankfully dying enough to save it. "Let's eat, then, before something else pops in to burn this shit," he muttered, turning the attention to him.

Hazel jumped at the chance. "Where are the bowls?"

"Over there, in that open bag beside Gwillym's foreleg. Will, show her."

Hazel returned a few moments later with some bowls and spoons, handing them out to everyone but Will, who just laid there with his head on the ground, looking miffed about not being able to join them in eating.

Surprisingly, it was the wizard who soothed the dragon's worries. "I'll have Kuro-chan prepare you some leftovers from breakfast," he said, voice unexpectedly kind. "He'll have some pot-roast of some sort and icky sour fish for you to nibble on, don't you fret."

Gwillym's head rose. _"__This man has pot-roast, and fish? Who is he?"_

"Oh." Yuui laughed. He waved a dismissive gloved hand through the air. "I meant Ginryu. I forgot you wouldn't know him by his name."

Anubis furrowed his eyebrows at the wizard, half-way reaching for the ladle to fill his bowl. "You're on close enough terms with the master of the North to call him by name?"

Nico didn't want to comment about how idiotic a name like _Kuro-chan_ was, so he bit down on his lip and worked on filling Anubis's bowl with a proper amount of soup and turn to do the same with Hazel's. It was probably just a nickname. Hopefully.

Yuui's lips quirked up into a smirk. Handing Nico his bowl to be filled, he reached up and flicked open his collar with his other hand, exposing a white bite mark that almost blended in with the blonde's pale demeanor. A bonding mark.

Nico's eyebrows rose, but it was Gwillym who voiced his thought. _"__You're the Northern Master's mate."_

Yuui looked about ready to giggle. He tucked his collar back over the mark. "For twenty-some years now, yes."

_"__How come I've never heard of this?"_

"We try to stay discreet. Kuro-chan respects my comfort zone when I beg him enough, after all. I enjoy walking through towns without having to worry about being recognized, just as he would in his human appearance."

Nico nodded. "That makes sense."

Yuui smiled at the knight. "Doesn't it, ah…?" He blinked, frowning a bit.

"Nico," the knight said, handing the man his bowl of soup. "Nico di Angelo."

The wizard's eyes glittered. "Ah, yes! How could I have forgotten? You had a sister blessed by the moon goddess, did you not? Stories of you and she have travelled far enough to reach my ears, not even with the need for magic! Quite spectacular, I might say!"

Nico's back stiffened at the mentioning of Bianca, and the bump of a dragon snout against his spine said that Gwillym had noticed. He leaned against the dragon with a soft sigh, reaching to the ladle again to fill his own bowl with the glop.

"Is it true that you have powers linked with the underworld?"

Flinching violently and getting soup all over his trousers, Nico hissed and jumped into the dragon's cheekbone. Gwillym steadied him. "What the actual _fuck_?" he snarled at the wizard.

Yuui cocked his head all-too-innocently. "I sense _something_ in your blood," he said easily as though predicting the weather. "Something from down below."

Nico hunched in on himself, feeling the familiar twist in his gut when shadows would normally start leaning towards him. "Why the fucking hell would you want to know that?"

The blonde's eyebrows rose. "I'm just curious. No need to get all feisty about it."

Nico shook his head, gritting his teeth.

Pursing his lips together, Yuui shrugged. He didn't look that disappointed. In fact, his face was completely unreadable behind his obviously-fake grin. The wizard turned to his soup in silence.

Hazel took that moment to return to their previous conversation. "I'm so glad you're here, Nico," she said genuinely, trying not to care about the stranger in their midst. She patted the knight's shoulder comfortingly. "I don't know what will happen with all of this, but as long as you're here, I'm certain things will turn out alright."

"It certainly beats sitting alone in Faerok, now doesn't it?" Anubis added with a knowing smirk.

Nico huffed and rolled his eyes. "I love you too, you big idiots."

Hazel's breath hitched, and more tears touched the corners of her eyes. She pressed her lips to his cheek. "We love you so much more, brother. So much that you wouldn't believe."

He kissed her cheek back. "I think I could believe it," he breathed to her, smiling lightly.

Gwillym chuckled warmly and bumped his nose against his mate, gentle enough to not spill the soup in his hand. _"__There, what did I tell you? You still have a family. And a mighty fine one, at that."_

Nico just shook his head and smiled, looking back at the dragon. He kicked his muzzle with a gentle scuff of the boot. "Is that right? Shouldn't I be saying the same to _you_, dragon?"

His mate snorted, eyes tender. He lifted his head away from Nico's kicking range and nuzzled the knight's side. _"__I always knew of the loved ones in my life, angel. It's merely a gift that I can say I had more than I realized. I love you, Nico."_

The man's smile softened. "Me too, Will. More than you realize."

Gwillym snorted a puff of smoke from his nostrils, haloing the knight's head with hot breath. He tilted his head suddenly, seeming to remember something. _"__Oh, and angel?"_

"Yes?" He turned back to his quickly-cooling soup, eating what he could before they would have to leave for the war. They had already wasted a lot of time.

Gwillym's voice was loving, and Nico's mark warmed as an afterthought.

_"__Happy anniversary."_

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Recap: Anubis and Hazel are dragon-birds or winged serpents, other known as coatyls. More specifically, Anubis is an Egyptian Serpent whereas Hazel is a South American Coatyl/Phoenix mix.**

**If you recognized Yuui (which I know one of you most certainly will), kudos to you.**


	22. Phoenix Arc (Part 2)

**Yuui, Ginryu, Saku and Shao are characters with slightly altered names from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, a manga that was the very first I ever read and the one I love the most forever and ever. Forgive me if I use them again.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Two of:_****Phoenix Arc**

"Kuro-chaaaaaan!" Yuui whined, pouting. He bounced on his heels, digging his fingers into the master of the North's arm. Ginryu, looking far too calm with an overdramatic blonde clinging to his shoulder, was a large dragon of ornate silver and bronze scales, whiskers swimming in the air around his muzzle. "What do you _mean_ I can't go with you?"

_"__Just that, idiot,"_ he said gruffly, growling halfheartedly at his mate's absurdity. He thumped his fist against the wizard's head and ignored the indignant "_ow_!" that followed. _"__You're still weak from the last fight we had in the North. You know this. You'll be better off standing back to keep yourself from getting killed. Let Shao fight in your steed."_

Yuui whined. "But Kuro-puuuuu!"

_"__Sir,"_ Gwillym cut in, looking tired. He stood beside the other couple, Nico having a custom-made saddle fitted onto the dragon's back for him to ride in, and had been listening to their bickering for almost an hour by that point. The sun was peeking over the horizon. _"__Word has come that it is time for us to go. Our escort to the Lord should be heading this way as we speak."_

Ginryu sighed, mighty silver wings unfurling on his back. _"__It's about time,"_ he muttered.

But Yuui wasn't done yet. "Kuro-meanie!"

The master looked down at his mate. _"__Yuui,"_ he said, voice stony.

The wizard flinched.

Ginryu softened minutely. _"__Yuui, I realize how much you dislike being away from me and the kid. But remember, our daughter will be with you. If something happens to us, we'll need you to be there to protect her."_

"I _know_ that, but—"

_"__Yuui, don't let me down."_

Yuui exhaled sharply, looking pained. "I'm a _phoenix_, Kuro! I can—"

_"__Yuui."_

The man made a high-pitched, helpless whine much like a dying cat.

A beautiful girl with strawberry tinted brown hair came up to them. She took Yuui's hand with a small smile, trying for reassurance. "Come on, Tou-chan*," she said quietly, dragging the man away. "Good luck, Tou-san!" she called over her shoulder as they walked off, emerald eyes worried and concerned.

Ginryu nodded, and watched on in silence, not even flinching at the accusing glare that his mate sent his way. The look said with clarity: _we'll talk later_.

With a rumbling sigh the moment they disappeared into the main tent, Ginryu turned to Gwillym. _"__Forgive me for the distraction,"_ he bit out.

Gwillym shook his head. _"__Nonsense. I would be the exact way if I could."_

Nico's head popped up with a sharp glare. He had been just about to put on his helmet, meant to hide his appearance from anyone he might recognize in the heroes, but now he tucked it under his arm as he sent a dark look the dragon's way. He suddenly felt empathy for the poor wizard—er, _phoenix_. "If you even _hint_ it—"

_"__I'm not, angel,"_ Gwillym soothed quickly. _"__I am merely speaking the truth. You're still in this with me."_

Nico sniffed. "Good."

Ginryu's blood red eyes ran up and down the knight with an approving gaze. _"__You have a good taste in attire,"_ he said in a deep, rumbling voice. _"__Looks like something I might wear."_

Nico flicked a hand at the cloak hanging around his shoulders, looking down to examine his pitch black battle armor of solidified shadows and bone. He, too, was rather happy with how it turned out, especially the helmet. He felt proud of the skull-and-rams-horns look of a demon it produced. Gwillym had said the design was similar to the symbol of Hadis, Olympian god of the dead. "Thank you, Master Ginryu. I made it myself."

Ginryu looked a touch impressed. _"__That idiot blonde back there would probably make all of his armor of his ice magic if he could,"_ he mentioned, but the silence that followed said he wasn't going to elaborate. Nico wondered if there was even such a thing as an ice phoenix.

He shrugged. Not that such a thing would matter, anyway, especially if the phoenix wasn't going to fight with them in the war. It would be something to think about after everything was done and over with, though. Perhaps he'd ask Gwillym.

Sighing upon glancing towards the sky and the steadily rising sun, the man flipped out his helmet and shoved it unceremoniously on his head. "Best we get going, then," he said, voice distorted by the metal. "Before the rest of them leave without us."

And not a moment too soon. As soon as he finished his thought, a group of men and women demigods walked into the area and headed for them. Nico's heart twisted in recognition. _The legendary heroes of man-demigod kind_.

Perseus Jackson stopped before them, bowing slightly. The others—Jason, Piper, Annabeth, Clarisse, Grover, Tyson, Leo and others alike if Nico was recognizing faces correctly—followed the retired hero's lead. "We are prepared and waiting for you," he said, sounding impatient. He bounced on the balls of his feet in that nervous tic he had every time he was forced to be patient.

Nico suddenly couldn't breathe. He hadn't changed a bit. Aged, certainly, but the younger man would still recognize his senior knight anywhere. Even with that ridiculous helmet and plume of orange feathers that spoke of his Olympian origin. His sea-green eyes were bright and almost glowing against the bronze.

Gwillym bowed his head, breath ruffling Nico's cloak. With a touch of the tail, Nico knew that Gwillym could sense his sudden unease. _"__Forgive us for making you wait."_

Jason raised his chin the slightest bit, making his helmet's purple plume fall to the side slightly. "It is alright. I doubt any of us really want to run out there without saying a few last words to our loved ones, anyway. I am Jason Grace, son of Jupitai'a. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Gwillym son of Apollus and Ginryu master of the North."

The dragons bowed their heads. _"__It is pleasure on our side, as well,"_ Gwillym spoke. A touch of heat brushed Nico's gloved hand, and the knight felt the dragon butt his nose against his side. Gwillym had recognized Jason. _"__I am Gwillym, son of Apollus, as you said. And this here is my mate. Angel, why don't you say hello?"_

"Hello," Nico droned, making sure his voice was altered just enough for them not to recognize it. They didn't know—_couldn't_ know that Nico had underworld powers. He feared he would lose the few friends he had on the human side if he did.

Leo, a son of Hephestian, whistled low. His eyebrows disappeared into his helmet. "That is _one_ killer outfit, dude. What is that stuff made of? Doesn't look like any sort of metal _I've_ ever seen, and I'm a freaking blacksmith!"

Eyebrow rising, Nico flicked his cloak to the side and made the corner flicker and dissolve slightly into darkness before becoming solid again.

The heroes suddenly looked intimidated.

Gwillym chuckled at the looks they were wearing, steam curling from his nostrils. _"__Aw. They seem frightened. So much for good first impressions, angel dearest."_

Nico rolled his eyes, but knew no one would be able to see that through the slits in his helmet. "Quit acting so surprised, stupid dragon."

If possible, the men and women's eyes went even wider. There was one, however—Annabeth, who was still relatively calm. She stepped forward. "I had not heard of the legendary hero of last millennia finally acquiring a mate," she said, voice as intelligent as always.

Stiffly, Nico bowed. "It is a pleasure to show you in person, then."

Her storm grey eyes glimmered. Nico had the faintest feeling that she was looking right through his armor and seeing just who he really was. He fought squirming in place, not wanting to look weak. "Are you a son of Hadis or Pluton, by any chance?"

_"__He has not yet been claimed,"_ Gwillym informed them, distracted. He was looking to the distance with a hard look set on his face. Solemn. _"__And we haven't the time to continue discussing this. Ginryu, if you may."_

The master of the North nodded. _"__Gladly."_

Nico jumped onto Gwillym's back as the dragon sauntered forward, movements easy and fluid after months of practice. His cloak billowed behind him, air-light as though not even there. In fact, his entire attire was like he was covered with soft feather down, the shadows cooling against his skin as opposed to his mate's heated scales. It made him feel protected and at ease despite the threat closing in at all sides.

_"__Ready?"_ Gwillym murmured, head turned as best it could to look at Nico as he settled into the saddle.

Nico gave an affirmative nod.

The dragon nodded back and headed after Ginryu. _"__Good. Let's get this over with."_

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_"__Kuro-sama!"_

Ginryu was standing at the top of the hill cresting the boundary between demigod land and no man's land, facing his impromptu troops and had just finished telling them what was to come in the next moments. They would not fight—the dragon said with obvious distaste—until after the Lord, or his spokesman, had their say. Then they would fight to the death to reach and kill the Lord, no matter the costs.

Nico seriously doubted the Northern Master's battle strategizing, and he was certain Annabeth was doing the same if the wrinkle in her brow had anything to say about it. But it was beyond the knight or the human heroes to question the obviously older and battle-worn dragon on how to properly fight a war.

Ginryu's head rose at the voice, eyes filling with recognition, and a beautiful bird of pale blue and white feathers circled down, landing on the dragon's back. Another bird of pink feathers settled down on the ground at the dragon's feet, looking sheepish.

The master snarled and snapped at the bird on his shoulders, but none of the blows actually hit. Nico knew just by looking that the violence was only for show. _"__What the fucking hell are you _doing here_, you bastard?"_ the dragon ground out, seething in anger. _"__I told you to stay behind and watch over the girl! Saku! Why did you let him come?"_

The pink bird-dragon ducked her head. _"__He wanted to see you off, Tou-san,"_ she said, looking ashamed. _"__I'm sorry."_

A young dragon trotted forward and pressed his muzzle against Saku's neck. _"__It is not your fault, princess," _he said kindly, amber eyes wide and reassuring. Something told Nico that they were as close to mates as they could get without marking.

_"__Ginryu, sir,"_ Gwillym began.

Said dragon sighed. _"__Yeah, yeah."_ He nudged the phoenix on his back with his nose. _"__You needn't say your goodbyes, you idiot. We're not dying."_

_"__Even then,"_ Yuui said, voice completely serious and far different than Nico had ever heard it. _"__I wish to see you off, even if Saku and I must stay behind."_

Nico once again felt empathy for the phoenix. He had to fight with the dragon for _months_ in order to be able to follow him into battle. He could only imagine what he would have done if he'd been forced to stay behind, too.

His eye caught something coming in the distance. "Someone's approaching," he called out.

Dragons and humans alike tensed and swiveled their heads to the beast walking forward at a leisured pace. As it neared, Nico was struck with a strange sense of familiarity. It was an ugly yellowish-brown colored bull hydra, each head heavily ornamented and body slow with armor and decoration. The hydra walked with pride, a symbol Nico figured was for the Lord emblazoned on his sides.

Once close enough, Gwillym went rigid and ducked his head down aggressively, a feral hiss escaping his parted jaws. The hydra stopped at the noise, but did not look threatened. If anything, it seemed a touch annoyed.

Ginryu shot the dragon a look. That had not been something they'd planned. _"__Are you the messenger sent by the Lord?"_ he asked the hydra, returning his gaze to the beast with a heavy glare. His brows seemed permanently etched into a scowl.

Each of the seven heads the hydra wore grinned ominously. _"__Hello. You must be that beast from up North. How interesting. And the fabled son of Apollus, as well! What a nice surprise, to see you finally crawling out of hiding. And with a mate somehow left intact, as well."_

Gwillym curled his lips from his teeth and bared them. His voice was of pure anger and rage. _"__Octavian."_

Nico stilled on the dragon's back, having been preparing to summon his sword. At the name, his eyes widened to the size of platters inside his helmet. _Octavian? The bastard who had tried to get me to kill Will for money? _That _Octavian?_

The hydra's eyes glittered. _"__I see I do not need to make introductions, then. No matter, I'll do it anyway for the rest of these unfortunate maggots who do not yet know who this powerful being before them is. I am Octavian, demigods. Prophet of the Lord."_

The amber-eyed dragon that had comforted the daughter of Ginryu stepped to the silver dragon's side, much like a son stepping up to stand beside his father. His head was raised in practiced authority, respect and patience coming from him in waves. _"__So you are here to escort us somewhere, sir?"_

Octavian gave a bitter grin. He gestured towards himself with his tail before walking back the way he came.

_"__I suppose that's a yes,"_ Gwillym mused, voice dark.

Nico hummed in agreement.

The heroes marched forward in relative silence, the occasional murmur breaking the early morning calm. In the corner of his eye, Nico watched as Yuui touched his beak to Ginryu's mark, said something too soft to hear, before taking to the skies with Saku and retreating back to camp. Ginryu watched them go, pausing in his stride, red eyes softened microscopically as he gazed after them. It was only when the young dragon at his side nudged him gently that he returned his hardening gaze towards where they were headed.

Ginryu said something soft to the young dragon, and the latter nodded, trotting over to where Nico and Gwillym were walking as swiftly as he could.

_"__He said to take defensive maneuvers,"_ the amber-eyed dragon whispered, eyes blinking with a touch of confusion.

Gwillym flashed the younger a dragon-grin. _"__Ah, yes."_ He turned his head to glance at Nico, who perked his head up at the attention. _"__Ready to begin, angel?"_

Nico grinned darkly, knowing exactly what he was implying. "Always, dragon."

Gwillym blinked and smirked back, turning back to the young dragon. _"__Head on back to Ginryu, Shao. We have this."_

Shao nodded once and complied.

Lifting his head to the sky, Gwillym sighed, breath like a warm breeze in the chilly windless morning. Nico closed his eyes, hands held loosely at his sides, and concentrated. Gasps from the human demigods were deafening, but were fainter from where Nico now crouched on his mate's head, spinning the orbs of light that were emitted from the dragon and bleeding into them his own shadows, setting them loose to float around as they walked on.

One of Octavian's heads swiveled around and observed with narrowed eyes.

Chuckling good-naturedly, Gwillym tilted his head higher and invited Nico to walk all the way up to his snout and poise there dangerously, hands juggling orbs of surreal light-dark hybrids. With a flick of the wrists, Nico sent the orbs flying to every side, spinning in a daring dance atop his nose. Streaks of shadow followed the movement of the knight's hands, casting his similar robes in a ghosty blue tint.

_"__Come,"_ Gwillym said, voice low yet echoing over the field of marching heroes who stared in wonder, fear and awe. _"__Join him, demigods. Join _us_. Join the Sun-Breather and Ghost King in their dance."_

Ginryu parted his jaws and breathed blue-white flames to the sky, and Shao answered with fire of scarlet. Soon all of the fire-breathing dragons had their own colored flames licking the cool, crisp air.

Gwillym breathed his white flames, and uttered a roar.

Octavian kept walking, and so did they. The hydra didn't even look intimidated by the show of power. But it wasn't for him.

Nico shadow-travelled to the ground, twisting his arms skyward. The ground where he moved darkened, grass yellowing and dying. With a flourish of the hands, Nico began to chant, still dancing at his dragon's feet and summoning black-blue soullights to dance with the sun orbs and hybrids.

Hearing the chant and recognizing it, Piper's kaleidoscope-colored eyes widened. Then she understood with an audible gasp. Human demigods Olympian and Romanian alike looked at her in confusion.

Trotting forward until Piper was closer to Nico, she clomped her feet on the ground and mimicked his movements, dancing over the unnaturally-illuminated earth. She lifted her chin and sang out the chant Nico was murmuring, a song taught to her by her ancestors. Her voice, flawless and confident as time wound on, pierced through the silence.

Distinguishing the song created by friends of old, the elder dragons chanted along with them, spirits heightened by the words. Some even morphed down to their human forms to dance and stomp and twirl with the demigods lucky enough to know the chant and dance. The others just watched on, some understanding and others not.

Gwillym had taught Nico that chant. Told him of its age and meaning, and spent time off from training to dance with the knight and show him the effects each word and movement caused.

Nico grinned wide, spirits souring and sensing the similar affect it had on the other heroes. The soullights he emitted pulsed red and purple and yellow and all colors of the rainbow, radiating the feelings of himself and everyone else. The lights only burned brighter as they walked down the darkening, soggy ground that turned from soil to sand to rock as they came closer and closer to the sea.

With even those not familiar with the chant trying to sing and dance it—with some rather embarrassing outcomes in Percy's direction—Gwillym snapped his wings open wide and shook out his mane, shooting flames to the sky again.

With calmed nerves and excitement for what was to come, the dragonfolk and demigods entered the cave right on Octavian's heels, Nico returning to Gwillym's saddle breathless and laughing.

He was ready to win this.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

***Tou=father (Yuui is "Tou-chan" so he is "she-father", in a way.)**

**(I just realized my two fav OTPs that aren't from my own imagination are THE EXACT SAME. Only the blonde is shorter in one and taller in the other. And their personalities are a bit mixed. Meh. Minor details. Kurofai and Solangelo for life!)**


	23. Phoenix Arc (Part 3)

**This was difficult to write. That's why this chapter is shorter than usual. However, I shall prevail! I swear it! *raises fist skyward***

**Leo's last name is provided to us by my gracious reviewer Matt. Thank you dearly, Matt!**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Three of:_****Phoenix Arc**

Octavian brought them deep within the seaside cave and stopped them in the middle of a wide, gapping cavern mouth illuminated only by reflected water and Nico and Gwillym's remaining orbs of light floating sluggishly at the group of heroes' sides. The hydra bowed his heads to the room ahead. _"__Lord, I have brought them as commanded of me."_

The ground shuddered. _"__Bring them inside."_

Everyone shivered at the cold wind that rushed at them, but they followed Octavian's lead by walking on in. Gwillym tucked in his wings and breathed mist, much like the other winged beasts. One by one, lights flickered out. No one said a word.

Once everyone had filed in, a boulder sealed the entrance, trapping them inside. Nico's eyes narrowed dangerously and looked around. They were in a giant chasm much like a dragon's hoard space, but the ground was completely flat and bare, puddles and streams making the stone slick and miserable for the fire-blooded beings. All along the dark walls, gaping holes led deeper into the chasms.

At the opposite end of the room sat a huge form, two or three times that of even Gwillym and the elders, skin pale and blue-tinged, scales old and wrinkled yet vibrant in the poisonous green light of the room. It sat on its haunches best it could, flippered feet awkward on the ground and neck stretched high with a tiny head set at the top. Even with the oddities, it was still a regal and powerful-looking creature, radiating a sort of ominous wisdom and supremacy.

A being thought to be made entirely extinct through human whaling. The land-walking sea orc.

(A/N: just picture a really big Lockness Monster and you've got the Lord in a nutshell.)

Octavian bowed deeply in respect. _"__My Lord."_

The orc looked down at the hydra with twin beady black eyes, blinking once before looking back to the heroes shifting around tensely, seeming more interested with its guests than its messenger. _"__You may step aside."_

Body rigid, Octavian bowed deeper and skirted to the side obediently.

As soon as he was gone, the Lord seemed far more at ease. Though not by much. _"__Hello, heroes of the ages."_

Percy Jackson stepped forward. "Getting right to the point," he said, fingering the quill pen in his hand anxiously. Nico recognized it as his sword in its slumber-mode. The man's sea green eyes flashed with determination, Annabeth and Jason at his sides. "Have you brought us here to negotiate some sort of treaty, Lord?"

The sea orc looked down at him, seeming amused. _"Not at all, Perseus Jackson son of __Posidei__."_

Ginryu chuckled and grinned, pearly white fangs glinting in the dark room. "Just what I was hoping to hear," he growled darkly, and abruptly shot fire towards the Lord. All at once, things started happening.

Water cascaded down from the ceiling and protected the sea orc, turning Ginryu's blue flames to boiling steam. The human heroes summoned or drew their weapons, shields brandished and ready for action. And in the midst of everything something slammed on the other side of the waterfall that concealed the Lord from view, and sharp cries called out all throughout the tunnels. Dragons and human soldiers alike flooded through the holes in the walls, a sea of enemies for the relatively smaller group of heroes.

Nico shadow-travelled to the ground and yanked his sword from the shadows, calling upon his underworld powers to make the ground crack and crumble around his nearing enemies' feet, sending many falling down an almost endless abyss. The rest of the dragon-beasts were not stunned and merely jumped over the chasm while the humans were forced to evade and take the long way around, making them an easy target for the heroes.

Gwillym, with a loud roar, spat fire at the approaching enemies, charring many to crisps but others replacing them too fast to count.

Percy was fighting back-to-back with his wife, sword and dagger swinging in deadly arcs at the barreling men of the Lord. Fleet after fleet fell to the ground, until the couple had to fight on top of the fallen bodies. They didn't seem close to stopping even after the minutes wound on and sweat doused their bodies, arms shaking and breathing harsh.

Jason and Piper were behaving similarly, the son of Jupitai'a cutting down each enemy one by one just as his partner behind him. Only, to differ the elder couple, Piper was talking to the enemies, voice gifted by her mother Aphrodis so that she turned the soldiers of the Lord against themselves, swords and maces and fangs striking down their own men.

Leo Valdesi, a man Nico did not know personally but had heard many stories about from his friend Jason, had a hammer in one hand and a handful of fire in the other. He was fighting back-to-back with a young white dragoness who he probably didn't know, striking down each enemy by burning them to a crisp or smashing their heads in. The dragoness fighting with him did not use fire but sang out to the Lord's men, making them slow and stumble and even fall asleep so Leo could better win each fight. It seemed his luck had struck in finding a partner of war.

Closer to Nico and Gwillym fought Ginryu and Shao, moving fluidly with each other and responding effortlessly to the other's movements. Shao, while obviously younger and less experienced, fought on beside the master of the North, in human form with a blade of fire. Ginryu was also in human form, red eyes flashing with bloodlust as he struck down foe after foe, calling out to them and taunting for them to step forward and actually give him a challenge. Things were falling in line smoothly for them, and they didn't seem fazed by the lengthy battle and seemingly endless opponents. To be honest, they looked like they did that sort of thing on a daily basis.

On a more direct note, Nico's opponents were approaching, slowed by the chasm in the floor and Gwillym's fire.

_"__Prepare yourself,"_ Gwillym warned, snarling as his flames sputtered out from overuse.

Soul-lights danced around them, and Nico swung his sword experimentally. It felt good to feel the familiar grip in his hands through the gloves he was wearing. The feather-light weight of the shadow-sword was also quite easy to wield, more of an extension of the knight's arm than an actual weapon. "Let's do this," he growled under his breath.

Gwillym and Nico flung themselves at the Lord's men, sword and fangs bared.

Nico felt at home in an instant, movements fluid and graceful as he struck foe after foe in deadly precision. Even with his eyesight impaired by the helmet on his head, he could sense the life sources surrounding him and his mate. Confusing, perhaps, but it kept the knight from getting caught off guard. He could tell where everyone was, what they were doing, and how many were dying.

Despite his early anticipation for that moment, after long harsh months of seemingly endless training, Nico's enthusiasm drained rather quickly as his opponents seemed to practically fall on his blade time after time, offering almost no resistance at all to being killed in the name of their Lord. None showed any real signs of a challenge.

Nico did his best to just grit his teeth against his disappointment and just keep going. If it was going to be that easy to defeat the Lord, then they would suffer little to no casualties. He should have been grateful.

Even then, his chest gave a twinge of frustration.

As he fought through the sea of enemies, Gwillym hot on his tail, Nico was struck with a thought. If he could open a chasm, why couldn't he use the entire cave to his advantage? Make the rocks flatten the enemies in the tunnels and cut off the flow of reinforcements?

Not able to do it from the ground due to the endless enemies that would instantly swarm him, he gave a warning shout to his mate, shadow-travelling to the top of Gwillym's forehead, poising there. "I'm going to need you to stay as still as possible!" he called down, holding his sword at his side and focusing his attention to the ceiling.

Gwillym shouted for someone to cover them as Nico closed his eyes and concentrated. A presence jerked him out of his thoughts, one that swooped down from the ceiling to plop down right behind him and—

Nico swung his sword blindly at his enemy, the sound of blades clashing ringing true in the chaotic room. He turned to face his opponent, grip tightening on his sword.

Before him stood a soldier of the Lord, known by the uniform color and aquatic symbolism of its armor. It was a human—_no_, not human. It wouldn't have been able to swing down from the ceiling if it was only human. Nico narrowed his eyes. _Demigod?_

The soldier chuckled, noise dark and unmistakably feminine.

Gwillym tilted his head, almost tossing Nico and his opponent right off his head. _"__Are you alright, angel?"_

"Don't move, you idiot!" Nico snapped, scraping his blade against the woman's. He turned his full attention back to her, eyes narrowed to slits and glaring. He didn't like being snuck up on, especially by someone who didn't have the guts to attack from his front. "Who are you?"

"Philia," she spat back. Her blade pushed hard against Nico's, trying to get him to falter and stagger back a step, but he didn't budge.

"I am the Ghost King," the knight deadpanned.

"I know who you are," the soldier snarled, pushing back violently and swinging back to clash and lock blades with him again. He was hardly jostled. "Mate of the bastard son of Apollus," under her helmet, her lip twitched in disgust. "A bastard in yourself, aren't you, you fucking bitch?"

Philia was trying to coax him into violence, Nico knew. So he didn't let her. He stayed silent.

She laughed once, tone higher and more mocking. "Got nothing to say, almighty _Ghost King_? I must say, you mustn't be a very good mate to the bastard if you won't even defend his cause. How fucking unpleasant. I must say I sympathize with him now. Got a poor fucking fool for a bitch."

Nico couldn't help the low growl that snuck from his throat.

The soldier jumped at the man's sign of weakness. "Upset about that, are you?" she sneered. "Too bad, since you can't even argue about it. You know how little your worth compares to your bastard mate's. You know how little you actually mean to him. Admit it. You're only a slut to be used for _pleasure_. You're only worth the time you spend in his bed."

Nico's scowl deepened.

Philia smirked. "Aw, is the bitch upset? Is the bitch going to start clawing and hissing to make up for what's true?"

_"__Don't listen to her, angel,"_ Gwillym urged, shifting from foot to foot nervously from the stand-off going on atop his head and the other soldiers of the Lord held back loosely by the efforts of a group of heroes. None stepped up to aid Nico, figuring the walk up the dragon's back would be far more dangerous than leaving him be. Even only knowing the Ghost King a short while, even they could sense the power flowing through his blood. They figured he would alright on his own.

The knight sent a silent word of thanks toward the demigods below. Even _he_ knew he would be alright on his own. It was just one opponent with a weak, amateur grip on her sword, after all.

With a deep breath, Nico steeled his nerves. He would _not_ be lured into a trap by going on the offensive with her. It was obvious she had something up her sleeve—literally. He could see the knife peeking through her chain-link armor from where he was.

Nico scoffed instead, his hold against the soldier's not moving. "You think you can rile me up with such words?" he snorted, annoyed. "I'll have you know Gwillym has done nothing of the sort that you're currently suggesting. I can say I'm a virgin and be proud of that fact. Therefore, your argument is void."

Philia's face through the slits in her helmet screwed up, being thrown off guard with the new information. She hadn't counted on Gwillym not doing anything with Nico, it seemed.

While she fought for words, Nico took advantage of her distraction by easing up his hold against her blade suddenly, pulling away and shadow-travelling behind her in the next instant to slice off her head. She caught the blade with her own a moment before contact.

"Cocky bitch," the soldier snarled.

Nico offered a smirk, mildly impressed by her quick reflexes. But the moment was short-lived. "I could say the same to you, I'm afraid."

Her face screwed up even further, anger going to rage in an instant. A familiar light flared in her eyes, one Nico knew quite personally:

Revenge.

With sudden strength Philia hauled him away from her, going after him as he stumbled with her sword. Nico caught the blade with his own easily, only slightly startled by being shoved back. She kept going after him, swinging and slashing and stabbing in rapid succession, but the knight kept up with effortlessness. After all the training he had endured over the years, an amateur's erratic movements were child's play.

Nico just focused on blocking and dodging, comfortable with letting the soldier of the Lord wear herself out. He didn't know why she was so keen on killing him and only him, but that would just have to remain a mystery. The moment a flaw in her defense was shown, he would strike her down.

Just as Philia started showing the beginning signs of slowing down her relentless attacking, the dragon beneath them roared in sudden pain.

Gwillym's head jerked violently as he blew fire at the sea of enemies at his feet, having sat still a moment too long. Nico stumbled on his golden head, scrambling to regain his balance just as his opponent was doing just in front of him.

The soldier of the Lord took advantage of the situation to use the abrupt movement to propel herself forward. Nico's sword tumbled from his fingertips. Looking down, Nico's vision went hazy. And yet the sight before him was sickeningly clear. Her blade was there, still held by her in a tight grip, buried hilt-deep in his cloak, right where his gut was. Pain blossomed where it began and ended out his back.

Nico breathed in a gurgling gasp, and the woman grinned.

Yanking the knight towards her by the hair, the soldier twisted her sword viciously inside him, a wet sucking sound loud and clear in the man's ears. The pain intensified and just…_vanished_, his body going completely numb. The woman drew him close enough that he smelled the reek of her breath.

Lime eyes glimmering, she bared her teeth at him around her avenged look.

"That's what you get for killing my brother."

Laughing spitefully, she parted her lips and spat through the eyeholes of his helm, skin burning and releasing foul-smelling smoke at the contact. _Acid,_ his addled brain realized.

Unable to move or speak or even breathe, Nico was helpless as the poison-spitter yanked the blade from his stomach and pushed him off Gwillym's head, sending him plummeting head-first towards the ground. His body felt nothing, not even the sensation of falling. His brain went fuzzy. His eyes dragged closed, one last breath rattling from his lungs.

Nico's vision went dark.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**PLEASE READ PLEASE READ PLEASE**

**Okay, I realize that I have absolutely no right to ask this of you, due to what I've done here. However, there's this Gwillym fic I want you to check out. It's called Stupid, Sexy Dragons and it's written by V is for the 5****th****, edited by me. It might take the edge off. Just heed in mind that it's rated M for a reason.**

**Please don't kill me. *hides***


	24. Phoenix Arc (Part 4)

**I have no excuse other than to urge you to keep reading.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Part Four of:_****Phoenix Arc**

Gwillym was completely frozen as his mate crumpled to the ground, not believing his eyes. Sound faded to a dull echo in the back of his mind. The pungent smell of burning flesh filled the air, coming from Nico's unmoving body. But Gwillym didn't believe it. Couldn't. It had to be an illusion. _Had_ to be. That wasn't Nico. That wasn't his mate, fallen and dead at his feet, cooling blood pooling around him. It had to be a mirage, conjured by one of the Lord's men. _It couldn't be._

The dark clothes on Nico's body evaporated into shadows, leaving him only in his undergarments. His head slumped onto the ground, face distorted and unrecognizable beyond repair. Rancid smoke curled from him, turning his skin dry and cracked until his face slowly and certainly crumbled into dust, his body the only thing that was left.

An increase in weight bowed Gwillym's head, and the voice of Philia the spitter chuckled, sound growling as she transformed into her dragon form.

_"__Got what he deserved, the arrogant bitch,"_ she said, sounding pleased. She sprayed acid, singeing Gwillym's nose but aiming further down. The liquid poison layered completely over Nico's body, his entire form drying and shattering into clumps of ashes.

A breeze rustled the remains of Gwillym's mate, scattering him throughout the room. Gwillym just stood there, not noticing the fight going on around him. Not comprehending. It was as though the war in his immediate area had paused just for him to stand there, staring at what used to be his angel.

No. It wasn't him. No. It _wasn't_. No. No. _No_.

The weight left Gwillym's head, Philia leaping to the ceiling whilst laughing merrily. But the son of Apollus didn't notice this. Didn't want to. He was too focused on the ashes growing thinner by the moment.

Nico wasn't gone—his angel wasn't gone! He _couldn't be_—he swore that they would both survive! Swore on the Styx! He couldn't break a promise on the River Styx!

But Gwillym's bonding mark seared in hot pain, telling a different story.

The feeling of emptiness flooded his ribcage. Anger, guilt, _loss_. His heart stopped beating. Hot wetness ran down his golden-scaled cheeks. Dragon tears. Powerful, angry, emotional tears. Tears that signified truth, always truth. Nico di Angelo was dead. His mate _was dead_.

With a choked sound, Will reared his head and let out all the pain he was experiencing in one single, deafening roar. The lights flickered, went out, before turning on again in a blinding white color.

_"__NO!"_ he bellowed. He stumbled back from the ashes of his mate, knowing with heartbreaking clarity that it was actually him. It _was_, though Gwillym could not help but beg and pray and plead that it wasn't. Nico was dead. His angel was _dead_.

Loss turned to rage in a split second, and Gwillym rounded on the culprit with a furious snarl, tail tucking between his legs in his emptiness and wings flaring in his hatred. He reared his head again, baring his teeth, and spat white-hot fire at the spitter responsible for—_NO_.

Don't think it.

_KILL THEM._

With an ear-splitting wail, Gwillym's vision went white like the light he was emitting, submitting to his need for revenge. He couldn't—_wouldn't_ think about what happened. He wouldn't be able to bear it. He wouldn't be able to _kill the one who was responsible_.

In his rage, a whisper came to his ear. An achingly familiar voice.

_"__Dragon."_

No_. Don't remember._

_"__What's your name?"_

_Don't._

_"__Quite the mouthful. Can I call you Will?"_

_Don't let me remember._

_"__Don't call me angel!"_

Angry, irritated. Familiar.

_I don't want to know._

_"__Stupid dragon."_

Endearing. Filled with years of companionship.

_I don't want to feel._

_"__Shut up, dragon."_

Love-filled. Warmed. Content.

_Nico._

_Angel._

_Love._

_I don't want to live without you._

An image of Nico popped up, so bright and vivid that it stopped Gwillym in his tracks. None of the enemies nearby were alive to take advantage of his frozen demeanor, though the dragon was too devastated to care. Nico's face was tinged cutely pink, eyebrows furrowed and nose wrinkled stubbornly, so familiar and heartwarming that it broke something inside of the dragon. _"__I…I lo-lo… Love. Love you."_

More tears raced down Gwillym's cheeks. _Angel, love. Please._

The mirage Nico touched Gwillym's face, the feeling cool and gentle. His eyes were warm, contented, loving. It took Gwillym many long months to get him to look like that.

_"__I love you, you stupid dragon,"_ he said, lips curled in a smile. _"__And I promise you we'll get out of this. Together. So quit your worrying, you idiot. You'll be proposing the moment we win, you hear me? No excuses."_

The image disappeared, leaving Gwillym to stand alone on trembling legs, the enemies for the time being smart enough to evade the dragon. But that wouldn't last forever. They would soon realize the vulnerability he was carrying, and try to take advantage of it.

Ginryu and Shao, the two who'd fought for him while Nico had been fighting the spitter on his head—the spitter who was now lying on the ground motionless with body still flickering with flames—edged forward in their dragon forms. They wore two different expressions of sympathy and anger.

_"__Nico,"_ Shao whispered, eyes flickering over to the ashes. He looked sad and furious in a way that reeked of compassion and closeness that he and the knight really hadn't shared. They had known each other for only the day, if not less. And yet he still treated Nico as a brother, and the tone of his voice brought another boulder tumbling into Gwillym's stomach. _He's gone._

Ginryu, however, was less compassionate and more _infuriated_. _"__Let's go," _he snarled, tail lashing. He looked at their enemies, bloodlust intensified. _"__The Lord awaits. Let's have your revenge."_

_"__Kuro-sensei," _Shao murmured, warning.

Gwillym looked down at the remains of his angel, his mate, and nodded once. His eyes narrowed to slits, smoke and fire breathing from his nostrils. _"__Yes,"_ he droned, heart heavy and yearning to be avenged. He turned back to the master of the North and his pupil, turning his back on the ashes. He had to focus. He couldn't let grief settle in just yet. _"__Let's go rid this world of that bastard."_

Ginryu nodded, pleased with his answer. Shao just shifted, looking cautious.

_"__There's a wall of water in the way,"_ Shao warned obviously as Gwillym trotted to where he had last seen the beast that was responsible for killing his mate.

Gwillym stopped before the water, ankle-deep in the biting cold. His breath fogged his vision.

He turned his head, looking around the battle field. His eyes landed on who he was looking for immediately.

_"__Get him,"_ he ordered, jabbing his tail in the hero's direction. _"__Get Percy Jackson."_

Ginryu glanced in the direction the son of Apollus was pointing. He turned to his younger. _"__Go, kid."_

With a reluctant nod, Shao obeyed. It took a few minutes, but soon the amber and scarlet dragon cantered back up to his elder dragons with two demigods on his back.

"You called for Percy Jackson?" the woman, Annabeth if Gwillym remembered correctly, questioned. Gwillym clamped down on his heart as the threat of remembering the time Nico told stories of her and her husband almost invaded his conscience. He had a job to do. He could reminisce later.

_"__I did,"_ he said, voice low. The heroes of Olympia looked at him, waiting. _"__Perseus Jackson, you are the son of Posidei, are you not?"_

"I am," Percy said, confused. "Why?"

Gwillym frowned, not patient for jokes. However, when Annabeth leaned over and whispered into her husband's ear, explaining exactly what Gwillym meant, Percy's eyes went wide with understanding.

"Oh! Right, sorry." He lifted his hands to the wall of water. Then he paused. "Wait… You had a mate, didn't you Gill-something? The Ghost King or whatever, right? What happened to him? Did you split up to cover more ground?"

Gwillym went rigid and growled at the demigod, who flinched and reached for his sword. _"__You will not question me!"_ he roared, enraged. He clawed at the ground, wings flared. _"__Now open a path so I can kill that bastard who killed—"_ The dragon faltered, voice fading. Then he stiffened back up. _"__Do it. Now. I don't fucking care anymore."_

_"__You will not do such a thing!"_

Gwillym made an angry sound in the back of his throat, spinning around to face the wild-eyed hydra Octavian dashing up to intercept them.

The son of Apollus jumped forward, growling in warning. Octavian skittered to a stop right before running into the dragon. Each of his heads snarled at being interrupted. _"__Stand out of the way, boy!"_ the beast hissed, necks arching. _"__You do not want your life to be snatched for such a reason as this!"_

Gwillym bared his fangs, crouching, ready to pounce.

Octavian puffed a breath of fire from his middle head, eyes narrowed. _"__Very well. I had thought you smarter, considering how you managed to seduce the very one seeking to kill you those years ago. But apparently you're as smart as even _he_had been."_

Gwillym scowled, tail lashing. He straightened. _"__Ah, yes,"_ he rumbled, voice low and deadly. _"__I suppose that _is_true. You were the one to issue him the assignment to slay me, were you not? I have one thing to thank you for, at least. However…"_

The hydra tensed.

_"…__You were also part of the reason he died, weren't you?"_

The fire glands along the junction of Gwillym's throat and jawline heated, glowing bright. Octavian stumbled back a step, baring his teeth and letting fire and acid dribble from his mouths. But there was no use. No use in him even trying.

The son of Apollus stepped forward, jaws parted slightly and liquid fire pouring from his mouth. His mouth burned as much as the ground at his feet, scalding his normally fire-proof skin and scales due to that sort of fire being relatively unused. It was a dangerous show, but Gwillym didn't care. He would be avenged, no matter the cost. No matter if he killed himself in the process.

With a roar to the ceiling, Gwillym shot fire at the hydra, who scrambled back with an ear-spitting screech when the liquid caught his foreleg. Hissing and shaking the limb free of the glowing substance, Octavian glowered at the dragon and far warier than the moment before. He set down his leg and limped as he paced, unsure how to strike.

Gwillym glanced over his shoulder at the gapping demigods and solemn dragons. _"__Go!"_ he ordered, swiveling back to his opponent. _"__Open a path to the bastard! _Now_!"_

Octavian made a yowl of outrage. _"__You dare disrespect the Lord?!"_

The dragon prepared himself for another attack. _"__I do."_

Like cutting the sting of a bow, Gwillym thrust back his rear legs, leaping at the hydra. Octavian hissed and snapped his teeth, grabbing the son of Apollus on contact. They slid over wet stone, Gwillym's weight propelling them along. The hydra scrambled for purchase on the smooth flooring, but to no avail. They kept on sliding as Octavian bit deeper and tore at Gwillym's scales and wing leather, ripping it open and letting blood run freely while Gwillym snapped off two of the hydra's heads in a single crunching bite. Octavian howled in pain, releasing his hold on the dragon.

Gwillym bared his bloodied fangs at the hydra below him. _"__I'll show mercy to you, this once,"_ he growled. _"__By ending your life quickly."_

Octavian snarled, snapping at the dragon above him, but was held back as a forepaw pressed down on his remaining necks. His breath cut off in a choking, strangled sound. His pale blue eyes widened in sudden fear. Gwillym hovered above him.

Fire glands shining, the son of Apollus cracked open his jaws. _"__It was nice to see you again, nephew dearest."_

Octavian let out a suffocated howl as Gwillym's fire burnt him to crisps. He cut off, eyes rolling back in his head. His unhealthy, frail scales turned black and crusty, crumbling to dust just as Nico had. Octavian's body was a pile of ashes and bone in instants.

With a huff that stirred the ashes of his nephew, Gwillym turned back to the dragons and humans. _"__Have you finished?"_ Gwillym growled, making the demigod man Percy flinch from his gapping and turn back to the waterfall, face gone pale from what he'd witness.

"I—I'll have it opened in a moment," the man stammered, raising his hands.

Annabeth looked at her husband, shook her head, and turned to Gwillym. "I'm sorry for your loss, Gwillym," she said, voice sincere. Gwillym couldn't detect any falsehood in the woman's stormy grey eyes. "His death will affect us all for the rest of our lives. I can only imagine the pain you're feeling."

Gwillym gritted his teeth and willed his tears away. His body throbbed with pain and healing magicks that had automatically been triggered the moment he had been injured. He looked away from the demigods. _"__Please, let us not talk about this now."_

Annabeth nodded, albeit reluctantly. She turned back to Percy. "How is it going?" she wondered.

"Done," Percy gasped, hands pulling apart and creating a large hole in the waterfall. "Go now! _Quickly_! Before I lose my hold!"

Without hesitation Gwillym dashed forward and leapt through the waters, leaving the corpse of Octavian behind. He turned his head back to the others, and barked at Ginryu as the Master of the North threatened to jump in after him. _"__No! Stay there! The others need you to hold off the troops!"_ he shook his head and growled as he turned back to the dark tunnel ahead. _"__I'll deal with the Lord. Alone."_

They seemed to understand, thankfully refraining from arguing. Shao nodded his head. _"__Good luck to you, my friend!"_ the boy-dragon called out, and the waterfall fell back into place. Gwillym was shut out from the rest of the world. It was just him and the Lord now.

Gnashing his teeth together, Gwillym willed his fire glands to continue glowing and illuminate his way. Light orbs popped up as he trotted deeper into the chambers. Almost immediately he came across another opening, and he walked right into the room without pausing. He didn't have the time for second-guessing. He had a job to do.

The Lord seemed unsurprised to see him.

He was sitting in the center of the room—bed chambers, Gwillym realized absentmindedly—lounging on a mini mountain of pillows. The Lord and Gwillym watched each other, blinking seldomly and just stared, gauging the other.

_"__Hm,"_ the Lord said, sounding mock-amazed. _"__It seems you had the guts to come here, after all."_

Gwillym gritted his teeth against a snarl. He opted with a cooler, more in-control appearance. He _was not_ going to look weak in front of the dragon responsible for—

He fought back against a shiver. Was it just him, or was it getting cold?

On the outside, he kept up his nonchalant expression. _"__You know why I'm here, I'm certain."_

The Lord smiled, cold. _"__I do indeed, son of Apollus." _The sea orc stood languidly, stretching. His flippers made it look awkward, but he was nonetheless graceful as he walked forward to greet the dragon standing frozen in front of him. He tilted his head, beady black eyes blinking. _"__You're here to kill me."_ He sounded highly amused.

Gwillym's eye twitched.

The sea orc looked amused by the dragon's lack of response. _"__The silent treatment, is it? No matter. For you to be here, something…_drastic_must have happened to someone on your side. Your mate?"_

Gwillym tensed.

The Lord nodded. _"__I see. Well, that's too bad. I had heard he was already dead, you see, and I was quite curious as to how he'd survived against a spitter. And then I witnessed the shadows he had emitted. I was rather looking forward to killing him myself. Too bad. Philia was the one who got him, wasn't it?"_

The dragon growled low.

The Lord made a chittering noise in the back of his throat that was probably seafolk laughter. _"__Upset, are you? I am not surprised. You were entirely smitten with that human, were you not?"_

_"__Shut up,"_ Gwillym spat.

The Lord laughed. A cold, steel-hearted sound. He walked back to his pillows. _"__Then, son of Apollus, by all means…"_ He sat back down, smiling a cruel dragon-grin. _"__Try to make me."_

Fire glands glowing hot, Gwillym stamped his feet and spread his wings threateningly. _"__You'll regret ever _thinking_of starting this war,"_ he growled, liquid fire dribbling from his mouth and steaming on the ground. He snorted smoke. _"__And I won't be showing you mercy as I did for your little messenger, either."_

The Lord didn't even twitch.

Gwillym bared his teeth. _"__Very well."_

All at once, fire and water clashed for the first and last time in the war against the Lord.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Angsty angst angsty angst angst.**

**War.**

**More angst.**


	25. Phoenix Arc (Conclusion)

**Welcome, friends and foes alike.**

**Welcome to the end of Phoenix Arc.**

**_Italics=flashback/dream, thought, dragon-speech_**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Conclusion of:_****Phoenix Arc**

_"__Hey, dragon?"_

_Gwillym glanced over, head tilting at the sight of his mate's thoughtful expression from where he sat at the center of their nest. "Yes, angel?" he wondered, hopping into the nest to join Nico. He plopped down beside him, crossing his legs._

_Nico gave a sidelong glance towards the dragon's legs. "Why do you like those trousers so much?"_

_Gwillym looked down at his red-brown trousers, raising an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Why do you ask, angel?"_

_"__You wear them all the time."_

_"__Well—"_

_Nico cut him off. "And if you say something stupid along the line of 'I wear them because that's what I was wearing when we first met', I will literally cut out your tongue and shove it down your throat, idiot dragon."_

_The son of Apollus's lips twitched in amusement. "Is that so."_

_Nico gave his best withering glare, but Gwillym shook it off with a wink._

_"__I like these trousers because…well…" he paused, considering his answer. He knew better than to joke about Nico's questions, no matter how trivial. His adorable innocent little mate was getting feistier by the day, and not just in sarcasm. "It was my brother's favorite color?"_

_Nico raised an eyebrow._

_Gwillym nodded. "Yeah. His name was Michaellu. My best friend, back before last millenia's war. Then, well…after Lei died… He went rather…and then…"_

_Nico's gaze softened. He placed his hand on Gwillym's shoulder. "I understand."_

_Gwillym offered a tiny smile. "Yeah?"_

_Nico nodded. He ran a hand through the blond's hair. "I... You know I know what it feels like to lose a sibling. I'm sure plenty of others out there have as well."_

_Gwillym placed his hand on top of Nico's. "I know. Her name was Bianca, right? Your sister?"_

_Nico's eyes saddened. He nodded._

_They sat there like that for a few moments, Gwillym holding Nico close and cuddling._

_Then Nico glanced down again and snorted._

_The dragon blinked and pulled back. "Nico?" he wondered, voice confused._

The knight's eyes glimmered despite the situation. _"__His favorite color was _rust_? Is this why all you wear is red and brown?"_

_Gwillym just rolled his eyes and held Nico close._

**~ΨΩΨ~**

Gwillym shook his head dazedly, spitting water disgustedly from his mouth. He willed his fire glands to work, to shoot out his white-hot flames and scorch the Lord who still sat regally before him, but all he got was steam. He spat out more water and snarled in frustration.

The Lord chuckled, pawing a pillow closer to his form. _"__What's this?"_ he mused, beady eyes glittering. _"__Out of ammunition already, son of Apollus?"_

Gwillym turned up his nose and growled. _"__Hardly, you bastard."_

The sea orc tilted his head, amused. _"__Oh?"_

Snapping his wings shut, Gwillym pounced atop the Lord much like he had for Octavian. Only this time, his opponent was too slimy to get a solid grip on. The Lord slipped free with ease, bounding away.

Gwillym made a sound of outrage and made to follow him, winding up with more icy cold water sprayed into his face. He scrambled to a stop, gurgling for breath, shaking his head wildly to rid himself of the water. If he didn't dry up and _soon_, he would be dead meat if some other servant of the Lord decided to stumble by to see how their leader was doing.

Coughing, the son of Apollus glowered at the Lord.

_"__Just think,"_ the Lord murmured, head still tilted. _"__If you had only been on _my_side, you never would have had to feel this pain inside of you right this moment. Your mate would still be alive, safe within my palace walls, and you could've been with him to your heart's content. But now that we're enemies…you can never regain what was taken from you."_

Gwillym gritted his teeth, fighting the memories. Fighting the grief, mourning, loss.

The Lord nodded as though sympathetic. _"__I understand how you must be feeling. I would be devastated, as well. After all, look at all the good following the path of the gods does for a person. It only leads to suffering and betrayal. Where were your father and immortal kin while your mate was fighting for his life? Where were they during this entire ordeal? Face it, son of Apollus. The gods care nothing for you. They only seek to use you to keep from dirtying their pathetic crisp white robes. You know what happens afterwards, how the gods steal the claim for winning or shoves it on you and your comrades at losing. Since when have _they _ever felt remorse, pain, and anything else you and your men feel for the loss of a friend, a sibling, a lover? They could never understand. And yet you still fight for them."_

Gwillym made a whine-like noise in the back of his throat, head bowing.

The sea orc nodded. _"__You understand, I see. The _real _reason you fight on the side of the gods is because of your father, is it not? As it would be for all of the other demigods dying in the other room right this very instant. And what of your mate? He was a son of Hadis, was he not? I would recognize that shadow-manipulating power anywhere."_

Gwillym stilled, remembering. He fought tears at the sight of his mate, translucent and dimming in his mind's eye. But that wasn't the point.

_He wasn't claimed._

Heat flooded Gwillym's chest, and he stood straighter. _"__You're wrong, Lord."_

The Lord looked at him, willing him to continue.

Gwillym's lips twitched, uncovering his fangs. The heat of his fire glands gave him warmth. _"__Angel did not fight for the sake of the gods."_

_"__Is that so?"_ The Lord mused. _"__Then, pray tell, what—"_

The son of Apollus reared his head back to the ceiling and roared, cutting off the sea orc's words. The tears were back, streaming coolly down his burning scales like twin rivers. His mark was throbbing and burning like an unhealed wound, reminding him oh-so-casually of what happened. That he was alone. That he was seeking revenge.

_So much for torturing the Lord,_ he thought in some tiny corner of his mind. But the rest of him was ready to kill. Ready to rid the world of the bastard that killed his Nico.

Fire dried the water in his mouth instantly, and he shot pure white flames at the Lord. The sea orc hissed at the heat drying his slippery scales and skin, scrambling away and heading for a corner of the room where a pool resided.

Gwillym jumped up and glided/ran across the room, intercepting the Lord before he could make it to the water. _"__Not so fast,"_ he spat, fire-water spraying from his jaws like spittle. The Lord screeched as a drop or two of it fell on his white-blue forelegs.

The sea orc tried to sidestep Gwillym, but the dragon shot out a wing and threw him back. The Lord fell to the ground with a sharp _thump_.

Burnt and breathless, the Lord watched with glimmering black eyes as the son of Apollus stalked forward, neck arched like a predator to its prey.

_"__He did not fight for the gods,"_ Gwillym rumbled, repeating his earlier statement. He bared his fire-covered fangs down at the water-dweller. _"__He fought because he wanted to protect _me_. And protect me he did, to his final breath. So it is _my_turn to make use of the gift he gave by saving me. I will respect his sacrifice by sending you down with him, as he would have wanted. I'm sure he'll have enough authority to ask his 'father' to save you some room in Tartarus, if he so chose."_

The Lord bared his own fangs, which were thin and frail-like in comparison to the dragon's. They were only meant to eat fish, after all. They were not made for fighting. The Lord was not bred from immortal blood.

As Gwillym reared his head to spit one last spray of fire-water to end the war once and for all, things went in slow motion. The Lord raised his head and made a keening, ear-bleeding sound of a screech, but it was not of pain.

Gwillym bit back his fire, knowing he should save it for the reinforcements who were already calling back and running through a new tunnel to come to the aid of their leader.

Then the ground shuddered unsettlingly, and the tunnels they were nearing from collapsed in on themselves, cutting off cries of surprise and pain on the other side of the rocks. Only the tunnel that lead to the battlefield remained perfectly clear, yet no enemies poured from that one. The hero troops must have been holding them off.

But what caused the tunnels to collapse? They were in pristine condition, not a crack in their water-slicked foundation. What the Hadis _happened_?

The Lord took advantage of Gwillym's distraction by spraying water over his fiery scales, making the dragon howl and steam, scrambling away and shaking his form of water. He slipped on the water-covered stone and fell heavily to the ground, scrambling his claws as he slid for purchase that wasn't there.

He spat an angered growl at the sea orc, who merely sprayed him with more water and laughed.

_"__I did not need those reinforcements, anyway,"_ he mused, not seeming the slightest bit surprised at the cave-in. Gwillym wondered briefly if he was the one responsible for the entire ordeal, going only for diversion. It did not improve the dragon's outlook on the Lord's character.

Gwillym snarled, baring his teeth and slipping on the stone. He was cut off as the Lord set a heavy flipper-paw on his neck, pinning him down. He tried snapping at the sea orc, but found himself suddenly too weak to do so. He had drained himself too much with his fire and anger. As the heat died, he became more and more vulnerable.

_It can't,_ Gwillym thought, baring his teeth at the sea orc. The Lord brandished his own fangs and neared them towards where the dragon's jugular was. He struggled weakly, snapping his teeth together in frustration and sudden tiredness. His breath came in short tiny pants. _It can't end this way. Where did all that strength go?_

He expected his mark to flare in pain, to remind him of the reason he was fighting so brutally. But nothing happened. It was as though the scar wasn't even there.

The Lord laughed, licking the tips of his fangs leisurely. _"__Oh, well,"_ he hummed, eyes sympathetic. _"__I was really looking forward to more of a challenge."_

He closed his teeth over the son of Apollus's neck.

A screech filled the air. An angry sound, one that jarred Gwillym from where he edged on sleep and submission. His eyes snapped open, the teeth at his neck loosening and leaving abruptly. Cool air whipped past the dragon, and took the Lord with it.

Gwillym struggled to his feet and tried to watch what was going on, but all he saw was a blur of scales and feathers, claws scratching and biting into flesh, breaking and spilling blood all over the damp ground. Wings dark in color flapped wildly as the owner shot after the fleeing sea orc, screeching and cawing and making a large array of enraged noises that coupled nicely with cries of pain and similar anger. The newcomer had the Lord on the ground bleeding in seconds.

The sea orc screamed, scales rippling down his blue-white spine. His back was to Gwillym, the attacker blocked from his view. _"__You dare—"_

The attacker hissed, flapping higher until it hovered far above the Lord. It was then Gwillym could see it fully as the two stared each other down, and his eyes widened at the sight. Pitch black feathers adorned the giant bird's body, white markings swirling gracefully with each stroke of the wings and traced down to cover its scaled feet. Dark eyes watched the sea orc below him, but shot a quick glance up and locked with Gwillym's for a moment before returning. It was but a peek, but the look sent Gwillym drowning in chaotic emotions.

The son of Apollus was confused. The bird was obviously a coatyl of sorts, what with its snake-like neck and the scale-covered beak for a muzzle, but it was a sort Gwillym had never seen. _Unless_…

Gwillym recalled the war of last millennia, when he had last seen a bird-dragon of such dark plumage. That had been the last of its kind, but it was a sort that housed a god. A bird that could live and remain young forever yet never have children, all because of its focus around the underworld.

The Death Phoenix, housed by Hadis, Olympian god of the dead.

Gwillym's mark tingled. He was afraid to ask, afraid to hope, but he still had to. He felt his chest would implode if he didn't. _"…__Angel…?"_

The death phoenix did not answer—couldn't—as it was focusing down at the Lord, keeping him from nearing the pool of water at the side of the room. But Gwillym's mark tingled again, warming, solidifying. It _was_ him, somehow. Even though by all rights Nico was _human_.

_"__Who _are _you?!"_ the Lord roared, baring his teeth and spraying water at the dragon-bird. It dodged effortlessly, practically dancing through the air.

The phoenix remained silent. Its eyes flickered to Gwillym and met his gaze, eyes too far away to gauge the color of but dark enough to nearly blend in with its feathers. They flickered over the dragon's shoulder, and a sound came from the phoenix.

Gwillym looked back, eyes immediately finding the heroes at the mouth of the tunnel, watching the scene before them with stunned silence. They seemed awed, puzzled and uncertain. Their thoughts, though unspoken, were clear: _Do we trust this stranger? Is he going to turn on us as soon as the Lord is dead?_

But Gwillym knew just as well as they that things that happened after were less important than _killing the Lord_. They could wait until later.

And yet the son of Apollus ached to rant question after question. _Is that really you? Are you my angel? How did you survive? How are you a _phoenix_? Did _you_know you were a phoenix? Did you know you were Hadis's son?_

A mark glowed above the phoenix's head, dark and surreal. The ominous symbol of Hadis, further staking the claim of it being a death phoenix, a child of the dead. The only question remaining was: _Was it Nico di Angelo in that body?_

The phoenix was quiet, completely silent. Either it didn't know what to say, or it didn't know _how_ to say anything.

It looked down at the Lord, claws flashing in the dim lighting. The white marks along its body seemed to light up the room, casting a bluish tinge over the water and stone around them.

Flying higher and higher until it almost brushed the tips of its wings against the ceiling, the phoenix cast a look around the room, at every occupant—pausing on the son of Apollus, but Gwillym might have imagined that—before landing at the weakened and bleeding sea orc down below. A recent blow had caused the Lord to break a foreleg, so now the water-dweller tried heading to the water with a limp-slide.

The Lord had his teeth bared up at the phoenix, too weak to spit water. The bird was only slightly doused, and that didn't seem to affect it at all. It was still going strong, the spray only adding an attractive gloss to its feathers and scales.

Gwillym's mark pulsed with living energy. _Die, you pathetic Lord._

The death phoenix swooped down abruptly, tucking in its wings. The entire audience seemed to gasp in silent surprise. _The phoenix passed right through the Lord._

Wings flashing back open, the bird clumsily coasted and landed heavily on the pillows at the center of the room, a shudder running down its body and its breath suddenly harsh. It tucked its wings tight against its body and shivered, as though cold.

Behind it, the Lord crumpled to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes cast a glassy gaze aimlessly towards the ceiling, and stayed open. The blood pooled, and the sea orc did not rise. One shuddering breath left his chest, and the lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves.

The Lord was dead.

The world seemed to grind to a halt in that instant, Gwillym unable to look away from the body of the being that had caused him and everyone in that cave so much grief. The one that had been the cause of his mate's death, but also the one who had brought them closer in the first place. The one that had brought out the unknown child of Hadis.

A moment later, the cheering began. Time went in overdrive to make up for the pause. Gwillym suddenly felt lightheaded.

Stumbling away from the sea orc corpse, Gwillym forced himself to breathe deeply and turned around to look at the death phoenix who was also struggling with breathing, form small and trembling in the pillows. It looked far different from the powerful and intimidating being the dragon had seen not seconds, if not minutes, before.

It looked up as Gwillym walked unsteadily towards it, eyes large and dark chocolate-colored, almost black. Just like Nico's.

Gwillym tried not to hope, but it was no use. His mark was already warm with relief. _"__Angel?"_ he wondered, voice quiet and weary.

The bird-dragon flinched slightly, making itself seem smaller. It made a weak chirping sound and shivered. Staring up at the dragon before looking away almost shyly, it chirped again.

_Will._

The voice was tiny, almost incoherent. But it was there. And it was Nico's.

Gwillym made a cry of relief, tears racing down his cheeks. He rushed forward and wrapped the phoenix up in his wings, holding him tight. _"__Angel,"_ he whispered, voice cracking. _"__Angel. You're _alive_."_

The phoenix tensed in his grip, seeming uncertain, then collapsed into him and sagged his shoulders. A little rumble much like a purr came from the bird's throat, and he rested his feathery head down on the dragon's shoulder, over the mark. Gwillym felt the familiar fluttering in his gut—in _Nico's_ gut—upon contact with the scar.

The hour of pain and regret and guilt washed away from the son of Apollus in an instant. Nico was alive. He was _alive_.

His angel wasn't dead.

For what seemed like eons Gwillym just sat there, holding his mate in his wings and forelegs. He sat there and watched as the phoenix slowly calmed, warmed, and stopped shivering. He felt the tired itch come from his mark, a sign that his mate was exhausted beyond measure and yearned to sleep. Nico was probably nodding off on the dragon's shoulder at that very moment.

With great reluctance, Gwillym shook him awake and pulled back. _"__You can't sleep yet, angel."_

The phoenix made a weak cry, unhappy. But he straightened and tucked his wings more solidly against his sides obediently. Gwillym caught a glance of the bird's mark standing pronounced against his black feathers with a warm fluttering in his chest.

_"__I'm sorry,"_ Gwillym said, voice gentle. _"__I know a lot has happened. I know you're tired. I am too. But we have to clean things up before the gods come by. We have to play by their rules until we can finally go home."_

_Home?_ Nico looked up.

Gwillym nuzzled the phoenix's head. _"__Yes, _home_,"_ he said, voice warm. _"__What do you think, Faerok or Delvwin? We have a choice to go back to my old caves now that everything is over with. I'm thinking of a good, hm…five or six years of relaxing. Then, who knows? Maybe we can go out travelling again."_

_Blackjack,_ Nico chirped. _Mrs. O'Leary?_

The dragon nodded. _"__We'll look for them the moment you're rested enough, then."_

Relief coursed through the smaller's body. _Thank you._

Nodding, Gwillym rested his head atop the bird-dragon, glancing around. Ginryu and Shao and a few others stood nearby, eyes glittering with understanding. Others either looked indifferent or puzzled, but those had not been nearby to see anything that had happened. They either didn't realize Nico had died and crumbled to dust, or hadn't seen him emerge from his own ashes.

One of those walked forward. "Who are you?" Jason asked Nico, lightning-blue eyes flashing and hand still fingering the sword at his side nervously. He and the majority of heroes in the room looked the same way. Wary. Intimidated. Just as they had with Nico's other form, hidden by his shadowy cloak and helm.

Nico looked rather upset at not being recognized, but being a phoenix Gwillym knew that the human wouldn't be able to realize that. Nico couldn't manipulate his face in the ways a human could.

Gwillym wrapped a reassuring wing around him. He was tall enough now to reach the dragon's chest while standing, but he was in no ways larger. _"__This is my mate,"_ Gwillym announced, loud enough for his voice to be projected to everyone in that room. _"__Angel, son of Hadis. Killer of the sea orc Lord. Savior of the war."_

Annabeth stepped forward and kneeled before Nico. "We are forever in your debt, Angel son of Hadis," she said, stormy eyes bright with knowledge. She knew who she was talking to.

Percy kneeled beside his wife, seeming puzzled. "Yeah, me too."

Ginryu and Shao were next, kneeling down in their dragon forms. And as though that caused a chain reaction, everyone else began to kneel.

It was Leo Valdesi who brightened things up from where he stood beside the unnamed white dragon. He swept forward with a deep bow from the waist. "All hail the Ghost King!" he cried out, voice riddled with laughter.

Piper smiled widely, eyes twinkling. "All hail the Ghost _Phoenix_!" she amended, raising up a hand, palm towards the ceiling. Her face split wide with a smile. "All hail Angel the Ghost Phoenix!"

Everyone gave a shout, repeating her chant. Excitement seemed to bleed into them from Piper's charmspeak. Soon everyone was cheering the words, jumping around and screaming their praise to the dank cave ceiling.

_All hail the Ghost Phoenix, Angel son of Hadis!_

The cheering fled to the background, Gwillym's gaze falling once more to his sleepy mate. He shook the man again gently with a wing tip.

_It's over,_ Nico's mind-voice spoke through Gwillym's mark, pure emotion. Pure relief.

The dragon nodded. _"__Yes, it's over. But we can't rest just yet."_

Nico's eyelids fluttered, and he looked dazedly up at the son of Apollus. _What more is there?_

Gwillym nuzzled him, smiling. _"__Now we head back to the palace of New Rome. I hear there's a party going to be prepared in the gods' honor."_

**_*End of Gwillym, Phoenix Arc*_**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

***smiles knowingly***

**There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?**


	26. From the Ashes (Conclusion)

**_Conclusion:_****From the Ashes**

"Welcome, heroes of Olypmia," Reyna, Queen of New Rome declared, raising her hands to the sky. "Thank you for saving my people and all others throughout New Rome and Olympia and everywhere else imaginable. You have done myself and the gods many a good deed."

She stood on a pedestal along with a statue of some god, Zesosi perhaps—not that Nico cared much. He was busy nodding off on Gwillym's back, curled up in phoenix form with his head peeking out of his wing. He hated the booming echo of her voice, but recognized its necessity. A speech of congratulations was tradition and was more to show the audience of commonfolk and nobles of their success in battle than to actually praise them. The look in her eye, though practiced and regal, held a tint of understanding for the heroes of the war as they fought teetering on their feet from exhaustion. Even Gwillym was blinking rapidly to stay awake.

Thankfully, she didn't keep them much longer. She dismissed them, much to the chagrin of the audience members, and the heroes of war all murmured their thanks and lumbered away, ready for some actual rest. But before Gwillym could go and do the same, Reyna called out to him and told them that she wanted a private word.

Exchanging confused looks, Nico and Gwillym complied, following the queen away from the crowd and into the palace behind the pedestal. Reyna stopped them in the ball room, a place large enough for even Gwillym to stand at full height without touching the ceiling.

The queen turned to them and bowed. "I thank you personally for your sacrifices in our effort against the Lord."

Gwillym nodded, Nico's mark searing with a touch of the previous grief that the dragon had felt over his death. Nico sobered at the feeling, blinking away the last remaining traces sleep.

Reyna looked over the two males, a knowing look in her eyes. "I know the two of you have suffered a great deal," she said, voice warming to something almost friendly. "That's why I wanted to be the first to return you to those you love."

With a wave of her hand, a pair of doors at the opposite side of the rooms opened, and Hazel, Anubis, Cecil and Lou all poured in, victory and relief lighting their dragon faces.

_"Nico!"_ Hazel cried, swooping down with rainbow wings to land beside the dark phoenix, wings wrapping around the male. _"You're alright! Thank the gods! We heard you'd died!"_

_Hazel?_ Nico tried to say, but his beak didn't function as a mouth, so all that came out was a surprised chirp.

_"Hazel,"_ Anubis sighed, hovering just above the two, royal blue and gold feathers glittering like precious gems in the artificial lights of the room. He was looking at Nico with warmth while he calmly scolded Hazel's overexcitement. _"He's probably tired and weakened from staying in that form for so long. Don't smother him."_

Hazel was obviously upset about it, but she eased up on the phoenix just enough for him to catch his breath. _"Sorry, Nico,"_ she apologized.

Coughing, Nico nodded slightly, awkward in his current form. He didn't know where it went, but he really wanted that instinctual smoothness he'd had when he'd been protecting Gwillym from the Lord. The moment the bastard had died, it was as though every ounce of anything _graceful_ had been leeched from his very bones.

Gwillym lifted a wing for Anubis to settle on, talking quietly with his own two friends. What they were discussing, Nico couldn't quite figure out. Something about a god?

Hazel held his attention, fretting over any wounds he might still have. He took it in stride, unable to speak but still able to give little noises that indicated whenever she jostled a wing too much or tickled his underwing. The comforting touches were making Nico nod off on Gwillym's back, mark numbing from the previous chaos.

Gwillym noticed Nico falling asleep and turned his head to burrow his muzzle under the phoenix's wing, breathing warm air. _"Go on and rest,"_ he advised gently, nuzzling his mate. _"I know that there's a lot that you still need answered, but that can wait. Get some sleep, angel. We'll all be here when you awaken."_

Yawning, Nico shook his head. _I need to stay awake._

Gwillym drew back and looked the phoenix in the eye. _"Angel,"_ he said sternly, but his eyes glowed with love and warmth. He nudged Nico with his nose. _"Sleep."_

Nico shook his head again, stubborn.

_"I think I can help with that," _a new voice announced.

Hypnotis himself strolled into the ball room, his long face set with a soothing, relaxing look. He walked up, almost slithering, to them. The god bowed his head to Gwillym.

_"Hello, savior of Olympia and New Rome,"_ he said, voice welcoming. He tilted his head a bit and focused on Nico. _"Hello, boy. I see you've finally tapped into your potential. And at such a vital point in time. Well done."_

Gwillym bowed deeply to the god. _"My lord Hypnotis."_

_"None of that,"_ Hypnotis said with a slight shake of the head. _"Today I come not as a god, but as a friend. And I bring someone Nico might wish to meet."_

Nico's head popped up, eyes narrowing in confusion. _What?_

Hypnotis sobered a touch, sitting on his haunches before the son of Apollus and wrapped his spindly tail around his forepaws. He turned his head slightly back to the door and called out to it. _"Come along, then. Before he falls asleep and you cannot say your piece."_

_"As if you would let him fall into dreams that quickly,"_ a voice filtered in, cold and toneless in a way that send shivers up Nico's spine. Familiar shivers. The lighting in the room seemed to dim a touch, and Nico huddled closer to Gwillym to hide from the sudden chill in the room. Hazel and Anubis crouched over Nico protectively.

A large bird stepped in on strong looking legs, pitch black wings tucked regally against its back as if he owned the world and was completely fine with it. Unlike Nico, this bird didn't carry any white markings. He was a solid black, darker than coal. The bird's feathers gleamed in the dimming light, looking oily and unhealthy, but majestic at the same time.

Nico didn't need a formal introduction to know that that was his father, Hadis. Olympian god of the dead. The original Death Phoenix.

Nico suddenly felt sick.

Gwillym bowed again, but the strain in the tendons of his neck made his reluctance obvious. _"My lord Hadis."_

Hadis's eyes zeroed in on Gwillym, looking him up and down as though bored. _"You,"_ he observed, toneless. He had recognized the son of Apollus, but Nico couldn't tell how he felt about the dragon's presence. The god was like a cold stone wall.

The tendons in Gwillym's neck jumped as he tensed further. He remained silent.

Anubis lifted his head, all-too-willing to break the strained silence. _"Hadis,"_ he greeted, informal as he was also a god. He tilted his head to the side like a hound might. _"Might I ask what brought you here this fine day?"_

Everyone knew why the god was there, but Nico supposed being direct in asking was a good approach. His pulse was rocketing in his ears, and he wasn't sure he would've been able to speak even if he could. He made a choking sound softly in the back of his throat and was nudged with a wing by Hazel. She was watching Hadis—Pluton also, which made her Nico's actual blood half-sister if he was correct—her gaze unreadable but glancing towards Nico with worry evident.

Hadis looked at Anubis as though knowing the god was merely being courteous. _"I am here to answer the questions I have waited to answer for almost a decade."_

Nico hadn't expected that. He had guessed something more akin to: _You're my son now so you'll do my bidding for me._

The young phoenix tilted his head, looking at his so-called father in puzzlement.

Hadis looked Nico in the eye then glanced towards Hazel. _"Daughter,"_ he greeted quietly, voice softening just a tiny bit, his head dipping down faintly.

Hazel looked tense. _"Father,"_ she murmured back. She wrapped a wing around Nico's shoulders, and seemed to grow bolder. _"Father, you cannot ask of him anything. He cannot speak in this form yet."_

_"I know,"_ Hadis stated, looking back at Nico, who tried his best to draw himself up and look his father in the eye. Fear coursed the young man's veins. His father was there, talking to him for the first time since Maria died and he left to go who-knows-where. And Nico was _terrified_.

Gwillym pressed a warm wing tip against Nico's side, having felt the phoenix's barely-concealed trembling. Nico's mark buzzed with comfort and encouragement. _You're doing fine, angel._

Hadis continued. _"I just wanted him to know of a few things I'm certain he's wondering of. Afterwards, you will not have to be bothered by my presence any longer. Now, if I may."_ He turned to Hypnotis, who shared a look with Queen Reyna. Together with Lou and Cecil, they left the room in silence. Anubis and Hazel were the only ones to stay behind, but only because they were closest to Nico and knew he needed their support in that moment.

With a mere flicker of the eyes towards the other three, Hadis focused back on his son.

_"I know you do not think of me as your father,"_ the god said, quiet. _"I know that you are probably seething over the fact that I have apparently not noticed you since your mother's death." _Nico's beak clicked as it snapped together, almost like a human gritting their teeth. Hazel's wing around his shoulders tightened slightly. _"It is understandable, how you feel. I had abandoned you and your sister to orphanhood. But I only had the best intensions."_

Gwillym made a sound in his throat, almost territorial. Nico's stomach fluttered with butterflies despite the circumstances.

Hadis didn't even look at the golden dragon. _"I wanted you to live a peaceful life,"_ he admitted.

The room went quiet, Gwillym's previous anger flickering out like a candle.

The god's eyes flickered with some sort of emotion before becoming guarded once again. _"My children seldom lead happy lives. I wanted you and your sister to become different. So, I masked the phoenix blood I had originally given you to protect you as a demigod and made you like your mother, a mortal." _The god's eyes tightened. _"But it seemed, even then, the power in your blood was far too strong for even _me_to compress. It built up, compressed and unused, until it finally struck out at the worst time with your sister."_

Nico went rigid.

Hadis considered his son for a long moment. _"You were always stronger than her in that area,"_ he supposed. _"Always able to talk to spirits back when Maria was alive, while your sister could not. She was better as a Hunter, I suppose. Always had a way with travelling at the darkest hours. I'll give my niece that much. She knows potential when she sees it."_

_"And?"_ Gwillym said, far beyond patience. His voice was rough and tense, as though holding back anger and anything else he could've been feeling. Nico's mark was in chaos.

Hadis looked at the dragon then, eyes flashing with anger. _"I thought you took more of your idiot father's side. Even a daft imbecile, he knew when to shut up."_

Nico heard his mate grind his teeth together. He said nothing more.

The god nodded to himself once pleased with the dragon's silence. He turned back to his son. _"Aside from your sister, you were always strong in sensing souls and death. It even leaked a bit after I had suppressed your demigod blood. I want you to know it was not in my wishes for you to snap the way you did. That was miscalculation on my part, and you have my most sincere apologies. Though I doubt you'd accept that._

_"Either way, I want you to know that I had suppressed that power within you even while you trained to control it. I did not expect for your abilities to grow to that sort of magnitude. Then again."_ Hadis paused, looking at Gwillym. _"You _did_have interesting company at the time. That might have had something to do with it."_

Silence stretched in the ball room, almost deafening.

_"Any more?"_ Gwillym said, voice a mere whisper.

Hadis looked over Gwillym another time. _"One last thing,"_ he said. He turned to Nico. _"Come down here, so I may address you personally…son."_

Nico didn't want to, but the phoenix being a god let alone his father, Nico hopped down obediently. His landing was awkward and downright embarrassing, but Gwillym steadied him with a touch of the muzzle and sent him a reassuring look. He would stay beside him.

Nodding a bit, Nico turned to the man that was his father. He tried his best to stand tall, but it was difficult to do when you were dwarfed in comparison to the phoenix before you.

Hadis didn't seem fazed by Nico's clumsiness. He just drew himself up so that he stood a bit taller. _"Boy,"_ he said, voice softening a touch.

Nico watched in silence, unable to reply with a snarky _Dad._

_"You are still quite young,"_ his father mused, examining him again. _"Being half Death Phoenix, you'll need to know that you'll live the lifespan of a human, growing older and older. Should you die of natural causes, you will die permanently. But if you are killed in some way or form, you will be reborn within the hour younger than you were before. Currently, you have regressed back…a couple of years. Depending on the brutality of your death, you'll become younger. This is important for you to know, so you don't accidentally die out on your mate before he himself has died. And I must warn you away from brutal deaths while very young. If you regress to a point before birth, you will also die."_

Nico nodded, knowing he would be frowning under normal circumstances.

His father's eyes softened a touch further. _"And there is one last thing you must be wondering, isn't there?"_

Tilting his head, the younger phoenix looked at Hadis in confusion. What did he have in mind?

Hadis nodded to himself, glancing toward the door where Hypnotis now stood. Nico's eyes narrowed at the sight of him, as the god had left previously to give them privacy.

The god of sleep locked gazes with him, milky eyes almost glowing in the dimmed light. Nico's eyelids grew heavy, ears ringing as his mind went sluggish, unable to process what was going on around him.

He felt the sensation of falling, and the world melted into darkness.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

_"NICO!"_ Gwillym exclaimed, leaping forward as his mate crumpled to the ground, snoring softly. The dragon was worried that he was hurt in some way, but the marks on their shoulders just radiated the numbness of deep sleep. His angel was just asleep. Upon realizing this, he rounded on Hadis and Hypnotis with anger burning in his eyes. _"What was that for?!"_

Hypnotis tilted his head toward Hadis and slunk off. The god of death, Nico's father, exhaled slowly.

_"Answering my son's final question."_

Hadis lifted a wing and laid it over Nico's sleeping form, Gwillym's mate's feathers almost slivery in comparison to the black of the god's. With a pang Gwillym realized Nico really _was_ glowing sliver, each feather outlined in a glow like the moon. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time, casting him in a starlit radiance.

The blessing of Artemis.

With a ghosting of feathers over Nico's body, Hadis began murmuring under his breath, eyes cast downwards at his son. The glowing intensified, turning bluish, and the son of Apollus could only stand back and watch as his mate slowly but surely shrank down size by size, feathers melding into olive-toned skin before disappearing under the flesh altogether. Two arms, two legs, no tail or wings, a black mop of hair lying disheveled and long on his softer, younger face.

It was Nico, back in the human form that Gwillym fell in love with so long ago, lying curled slightly in a fetal position and stark naked on the cold ballroom floor.

A shudder of relief made Gwillym's body quake. _"Angel…"_

Morphing down to his own human form, Gwillym took his mate in his arms and held him close to his chest, nose buried in hair that smelled of death, fire and Nico. Tears budded up in his eyes. "Thank you, my lord," he breathed to Hadis, who stood there still in phoenix form rather stiffly.

Hadis nodded once, but Gwillym couldn't see it as he had a face-full of raven-colored hair. He could, however, hear his reply. _"With this my job of answering his questions has been concluded. I will take my leave now, son of Apollus. Do take care of my son, lest you find yourself in the deepest pits of Tartarus."_

_"Father!"_ Hazel exclaimed, only sounding half scolding.

Hadis just chuckled coldly and swept from the room in a blanket of icy cold air and shadows.

Gwillym just crouched there, holding his mate to him like a lifeline as the god left. The gentle touch of Hazel's human hand was placed on the dragon's bare shoulder, right next to his mark, and Gwillym finally raised his head to look at her. Her golden eyes were full of warmth and understanding.

"Let's get him somewhere to sleep, shall we?" she suggested quietly.

"And," Anubis added, walking up in his own human form that still looked strangely like Nico. He pointed at the knight and summoned white cloth, weaving a paper-thin blanket of sorts to wrap around the smaller, younger man's sleeping body. "It would be best if he didn't catch cold."

Gwillym smiled tightly at the two of them. "Thank you," he said, voice genuine and soft.

The two dragon-birds smiled down at him with reassuring gazes. "Let's ask Reyna for a room," Hazel said again, her hand on Gwillym's shoulder pushing pointedly. He picked Nico up in his arms bridal-style and stood, the knight's head falling heavily on the dragon's shoulder, right over his mark.

Looking down at his mate's sleeping face, calm and peaceful after so much pain, Gwillym couldn't help but smile.

Perhaps some sleep would do them all a little good.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

When Nico finally awoke, he felt whole and well-rested. He couldn't remember the last time he had been that way, so he just figured he was still dreaming. That is, until he turned to his side and bumped heads rather roughly with a sleeping human-form Will.

"Ow!" Will yelped, leaping back automatically and rubbing his head. He groggily opened his eyes and glared down at the knight. "What was _that_ for?!"

Nico couldn't help but crack a grin and snigger. "Not my fault that you were too close," he murmured, massaging his own forehead.

Will pouted. "Mean."

Taking a moment to look around, Nico frowned. "What happened?" He looked down at himself and squeaked. "And _WHY THE HELL AM I NAKED_?!"

The blond's eyes became amused. He looked like he was holding back laughter. "We have to wait for Reyna to come up with some to your taste, angel. Your others are rather…incinerated."

Nico felt his cheeks grow warm. He wrapped the blankets nearest him around himself tightly. "You _saw_ me?"

Chuckling under his breath, Will flopped down on his back, staring up at the ceiling painting of heroes past. His blue eyes were warm and thoughtful. "It's not like I haven't seen you before, angel," he said, chuckling as he earned a pillow to the face and a couple loud curses.

"Fucking dragon," Nico muttered under his breath, bright red and fuming.

"So I peeked once or twice," Will chuckled, voice muffled by the pillow. "I don't see the issue here, angel."

The phoenix bared his teeth down at his mate, keeping the pillow pressed down so that Will wouldn't see his flustered state. "Idiot," he snarled.

Will chuckled again and flipped them over suddenly, sitting as gently as he could on Nico's stomach and leaning over the man. Nico couldn't move for a moment, stunned and blinking. Then his mouth was occupied and he couldn't find it in himself to care about pushing the dragon off of him.

Will braced himself up, a hand at each side of Nico's head, disheveled hair blanketing them like black silk. He separated from their kiss slowly, face close and noses brushing when Nico finally let his eyes flutter back open.

"Will?" Nico wondered, slightly breathless.

Said blond smiled crookedly, but his eyes were clouded in deep thought. His eyes flickered down, towards the bite mark on Nico's shoulder. "I…" he breathed, fingers fluttering over the raised skin and making butterflies flutter in Nico's stomach. "I nearly lost you today."

Nico stilled, eyes fixed on Will's face. He noticed new little irregularities that hadn't been there the day before. Will had tiny scars littering his neck and chest, and even a faint one barely visible on his cheek.

"So did I," Nico murmured, tracing the pale lines with his eyes. There was a larger scar towards the bottom of the dragon's tan torso, twisting into his back and disappearing. Nico fought doing what Will was doing and tracing it with his fingers. "I don't know about you, but I feel I've had my fill of violence."

Will purred and kissed the top of the knight's head. "Took the words right out of my mouth, angel," he agreed.

He kissed Nico again, and a loud cough drew them apart a moment later. Will leaned back and revealed Reyna standing in the doorway, a bundle of clothes in the crook of her arm. Nico flushed, but Reyna didn't seem embarrassed at witnessing too full-grown men making out half-dressed in one of her palace beds. In fact, her eyes seemed to glimmer with a sort of contentedness, as though she were somehow pleased.

She held out the bundle in her arms. "I've brought his clothes," she announced.

Will smiled and got off of Nico, sliding from the bed to skip up to the queen of New Rome. He bowed as he accepted them. "Thank you, your highness."

Reyna waved it off. "It was my pleasure." She glanced up at Nico, who was sitting up with the blankets bunched up at his waist. She bowed slightly. "I hope to meet the two of you again one day, under friendlier circumstances."

Nico nodded. "I would like that," he said, voice croaky.

The queen nodded back with a small smile. She turned back to Will and tapped the pile of clothes in his arm with a finger. "There's a pair of pants for you in there, too," she told the dragon, eyes fierce. "I suggest you use them."

Will's eyebrows furrowed. "But I don't—"

Reyna cut him off. "You'll thank me for them later."

She left with a flourish of the cape.

Will blinked several times at the doorway, not seeming to comprehend what had happened. He turned and shared a look with Nico. "What was _that_?" he wondered, mouth set in a cute little frown.

Nico shrugged and shook his head.

Digging out the pair of pants that Reyna had mentioned from the pile of clothes, Will threw the rest of them over to the younger man and told him to get changed while he wasn't looking. While Nico hurriedly slipped into the offered clothes, his mate looked at his pants with puzzlement etched into his face.

Almost as soon as Nico was finished, Will barked out a short laugh, his face clearing up with understanding. "Seems like I really _will_ need to thank her for this later," he murmured, almost too faint for Nico to hear.

"What?" Nico wondered, not understanding.

Will chuckled and walked over to Nico, taking his hand and gently leading him from the bed. He laid the pants down on the covers, something seemingly in his clenched fist. Nico stared down at it, bewildered.

"What is it, Will?" he asked, voice going up a notch. He glanced up and frowned. "You look deep in thought again."

"Do I?" Will inquired, not seeming like he was expecting an answer. His stare was intense, looking almost into Nico's soul. The shorter man fidgeted where he stood, hand tightening in the dragon's.

Nico bristled on reflex to the silence, embarrassment making his cheeks flare pink. "Just spit it out already!" he snapped, eyes glaring. "_What is it_?"

Will smiled slightly, but it seemed a tad nervous. "I love you," he said.

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "Why does that—"

"Let me finish," the blond cut him off. He _definitely_ looked embarrassed then.

Nico was about to continue with asking what the hell loving him had to do with what was on his mind, but then Will was sliding down to one knee and Nico's words died unsaid in his throat. His body went completely rigid, knowing what was going on before his mind could catch up with him.

_Oh my gods he's not about to—_

Will's smile melted until it was faint and crooked, trembling at the corner slightly. He opened up his fist, holding up a simple silver band with a single line of gold for the man above him to see.

"I love you," he repeated, blue eyes swimming with emotion. "I want to live with you forever, Nico di Angelo. I…" he cut himself off, looking sheepish. "I don't really have a speech prepared, but…well…" He glanced up at Nico through blond lashes, so uncertain that it made the knight's butterflies skitter throughout his body, settling in his heart and setting it aflutter. "Marry me?"

Nico couldn't breathe, certain his eyes were the size of dinner plates. He bit his lip, words still dead in his throat. His hand in Will's was trembling uncontrollably—but then again, so was Will's.

"Nico…?" Will's voice cut into his thoughts, so soft and uncertain. Nico's eyes fluttered back to his. Blond eyebrows were creased close together, the dragon's hand twitching back around the ring. "Should I have not mentioned…?"

Something wet slid down Nico's cheek, but before he could recognize it as tears he was at Will's level, arms thrown around the dragon's neck and head hiding in the crook where his bonding scar was, nose brushing it lightly.

Strong arms wrapped around him, and Nico found that he was trembling as much as his hand had been. Will burrowed his face into Nico's mark, breathing in deeply, scenting the skin there.

"Nico, angel…" Will's voice trailed off.

"Yes," Nico said, tone stronger than he was expecting. His arms tightened around his mate's. "Yes, I'll marry you. _Yes_."

A shudder went through the larger man's body, a sound of relief ripping from his throat like a ragged purr. He kissed Nico's mark, keeping the man close to him. "Thank the gods," he breathed, voice unsteady. "Thank you."

Nico felt himself relax in the dragon's arms, body jittery and heart thumping frantically. He drew back and kissed Will's cheek, replied with a solid kiss of the lips a moment later. A little laugh bubbled from his chest, the cold bite of the metal band sliding onto his ring finger.

Will held his hand between both of his, keeping it close to his chest. Nico found the man's heart racing just like his was.

The blond looked at Nico, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. He hurriedly blinked them away and grinned. "Next time we'll visit it'll be or the wedding, won't it?" he joked.

Nico laughed. "We'll have to tell my friends, then. Make sure they're in town for it."

"My friends as well, for sure," Will agreed. He trembled. "I'm a bundle of nerves right now, I'm sorry angel," he laughed unsteadily, bringing Nico's hand up to his lips and kissing it.

Nico fanned his face with his free hand, sure that he was dark red. "Oh _gods_, Hazel is going to freak out once she hears about this."

Will smirked. "Is that all you have to say, out of everything? I'm wounded, angel."

Nico couldn't help but roll his eyes.

_Laugh it up, you idiot dragon, laugh it up._

As the years would run by, Nico would always have that snarky reply to anything the dragon did. At one time in their lives it had been an angry snap, an impatient reply to the dragon's annoying teasing and confusion. But then, and forevermore as love grew stronger, it would be known as a term of endearment between them. Nico's way of saying "I love you".

With a soft kiss from his dragon, Nico's problems washed away, any weight remaining stubbornly in his chest finally gone. Feeling like he was floating on clouds he curled his fingers into the curly blond hair of his fiancé and kissed back, the world around them fading into bliss.

Where there was once a knight preparing to slay the dragon before him now sat two men, deeply in love, feeling like they were ready to conquer the world. Two men, a white fire-breather and a black-fire bird, a son of Apollus and a son of Hadis, healing and death, sitting together in each other's arms, relaxed and happy to just be near the other. Opposites and yet, at the same time, not. In a way, they were exactly the same. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together, and they loved each other.

Everything else could wait.

And so lives the young legacy of the Sun-Breather and the Ghost Phoenix.

**_*End of Gwillym*_**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Hey, all. I know you're probably happy/sad that this is over, depending on how you took me rebirthing Nico as a phoenix last chapter. However, I have good news for whoever's upset about this ending. I have some oneshots planned out for the after-story, and a sequel, in the future. (My friends kept begging for it—mainly CrazyCookieChick. You can thank her.)**

**Share your thoughts, don't be shy. I want to know all you want to see. What sort of oneshots do you have in mind? If I use yours and I didn't think of it already, I'll give credit to you. I swear it. Ask questions that were unanswered and I shall answer them, too. Unless if they'll be answered in the sequel.**

**Oh, speaking of which. Review if you'd like a sequel.**

**Love you all! I hope you enjoyed Gwillym!**


	27. Beginning Again (Oneshot)

**This chapter is dedicated to CrazyCookieChick! Have at it, girl! You've waited long enough for this!**

***whispers* I hate writer's block.**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Oneshot:_****Beginning Again**

Nico blinked his eyes open blearily and looked up, fighting a yawn that would have been swallowed in the air whipping across his face. He was still in his human form, sitting on the dragon's back with his head tilted back to take in the cloudy sky around them.

Gwillym made a humming noise. _"__Are you awake, then?"_

Nico made a noise of agreement.

Rumbling a laugh, the dragon turned his head a bit to glance back at his mate. _"__Good timing, angel. We're almost there, about a few minutes away."_

Cocking his head, Nico sent Gwillym his feeling of confusion. _Where are we going?_

Lucky that they had marks to communicate with, Gwillym answered his unspoken question with ease. "Look around, angel," he said, voice gentle. _"__Don't you recognize where we are?"_

Nico did as he was told, squinting down at the landscape rolling by below. A town was in the distance. _No,_ he thought. _I don't recognize it._

Gwillym laughed again, this time sympathetically. _"__I understand, angel,"_ he murmured. _"__It has been years since the last time you were here, after all. I shouldn't be surprised that you've forgotten what it looks like."_

Nico's eyebrows furrowed, then his eyes blew wide the moment understanding hit him. _Is that Delvwin?_

Gwillym stayed silent, but that was enough to reinforce Nico's belief. He looked back down at the town growing closer by the second, and finally recognized it. Crying out in disbelief, he turned to Gwillym.

_I thought we were going to look for Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack first!_

The dragon passed over the town, using the clouds so that no one would freak over a giant golden beast flying overhead. _"__I know I said that's what we would do the instant things calmed down, but I was in need of seeing this place again. I lived here for centuries, after all. It feels weird to have been gone for as long as I have."_

Soon he was coasting, nearing where the caves where.

Nico gave a little puff through the nose, smiling down at the back of the dragon's head. _Idiot,_ he thought, shaking his head slowly. _Always resorting to the pity card._

They landed just short of an entrance to the caves, and Nico's eyes widened at the sight that greeted them. The ground was scuffed up everywhere, grass torn from their roots, claw marks evident everywhere in the immediate area. The entrance itself was enlarged, dug wider clumsily with similar claw marks decorating the sides. Bones and scraps of carcasses littered the ground, flies swarming the air with the smell of rot.

Nico gagged and held his nose as he slid to the ground. Gwillym steadied him with his muzzle when he stumbled a bit.

Thanking the dragon under his breath, Nico ignored the stinging in his eyes and looked around at the chaos around them. "Is anything still here?" he coughed out through his hand.

Gwillym looked deeper into the cave, sniffing the air cautiously. He didn't seem as affected to the stench as the knight was, eyes clear and focused as he examined the tunnel mouth. _"__I do not smell any remaining living beings nearby. I think it'd be safe to check out what's become of the inside." _His voice was strained, obviously upset by what had become of his home. Turning into his human form, Will jumped over what was left of a wyrm corpse and gestured for Nico to follow him. "C'mon, then," he said, mouth tipped upwards in a forced smile. "Let's go see what's left."

Frowning, Nico followed a few steps behind the dragon, one hand still covering his nose and mouth.

Inside of the caves was just as bad as the outside, if not worse. The stench of probably a hundred dragons, wyrms and wyverns filled the air, the remnants of their stay scattered across the floor and making it hard to choose where to step. Will wasn't bothered, though. He walked on without hesitation, leaving Nico behind to pick his way through carcass remains and dung.

Nico didn't dare call out to the blond to slow down, though. He already knew where he was headed, and he wouldn't want to anger him by making him wait longer than he had to. Even while he had denied it when they'd first met, treasure was important to every dragon. Will was no exception to that fact.

Most of all, Nico feared what his reaction would be if the "guests" had taken everything as the knight suspected. Hopefully not _too_ catastrophic, but he wouldn't know until he saw it.

When Nico finally made it to the entrance to the hoard, he hesitated before walking in, just standing at the entrance. Will stood at the center of the room, bare back facing him, his feet standing in mud and dirt that used to be piled high with gold and precious metals. Like Nico had thought, it was all gone except for a small scattering here and there that escaped greedy claws. Otherwise, the room was completely barren save for even more carcasses and what was left of a large drake.

Will bent down and scooped up a handful of mud and gold, straightening to look down at his hand. He clenched it into a fist and sighed sharply, cutting off with a growl. The sound made the hair on the back of Nico's neck rise.

Hesitantly, Nico stepped forward, ignoring the fact that he was stepping in something that wasn't mud or dirt. Bile rose in his throat, but he forced it down, opting that the dragon was far more important than getting his boots dirty. "Will?" he finally spoke up, unable to raise his voice above a whisper.

Will didn't seem to hear him.

Nico risked another step forward. "Will," he murmured, louder. "Are you…alright?"

Blue eyes glanced over his shoulder at the knight, and Nico froze where he stood. The dragon was a jumble of emotion, anger being one of the prime. But the younger man fought backing off, knowing Will wouldn't just attack him just because he was lacking in his previous wealth.

Or would he?

Eyes locked with Nico's, Will slowly let the mud and gold slip from his hand, shaking the glop from his fingers. He took one last wistful glance around the room before rushing to Nico and yanking the man into his embrace. Nico flinched against his will and stood shock-still.

"W-Will?" he croaked, uncertain. The dragon had his head buried in the crook of his neck, arms tightly wound around his torso. He was breathing heavily, trembling a bit with every exhale. It seemed as though he were forcing himself to calm down.

Nico was struck with a feeling of understanding, though it was of no reason as strong as it could have been, as he wasn't a dragon himself. But he understood what loss felt like. Even while being because of such different reasons, the feeling would always be the same.

Certainty flooding Nico, he wrapped his arms around the dragon and buried his nose in curly blond hair, holding him back firmly.

Exhaling unsteadily again, Will nuzzled into Nico's mark, bringing butterflies swirling to the knight's stomach. "I'm sorry," the blond whispered, his voice so soft Nico almost couldn't hear it even with the dragon mere inches from his ear. "I've frightened you, haven't I?"

Nico's fingers wound into Will's hair, tugging lightly. "Cautious, perhaps," he admitted, knowing the dragon could already feel his emotions due to their marks. "But I'm not scared of you, dragon. I never will be."

The dragon's next sigh rattled a bit, sounding like he didn't believe Nico's words.

Nico bristled a bit at that thought. "I _won't_!" he stressed.

Will barked a laugh and scraped his teeth against Nico's mark, making him shiver. "That sounds wonderful, angel. But really, it's only wishful thinking. Every now and then you're probably going to become frightened of me, just as I will with you. It's only natural, considering our tempers." He chuckled under his breath.

Nico felt his cheeks flush. It was his turn to sigh. "Idiot," he huffed.

The black haired man felt the dragon smile against his neck. He kissed the skin there. "Love you too."

The knight's eyebrow twitched. "Right."

Will pulled back and looked down at Nico, eyes warm and soft. He cupped the smaller man's face between his hands, thumbs tracing over blushing cheeks. "Angel," he said, almost incoherent. He glanced around the barren room, but soon returned his gaze to Nico. He exhaled softly at the concerned look Nico was giving him. "I'm alright," he reassured the man, resting his forehead on Nico's. "I can survive without a mountain of gold just as I did while I was travelling with you. You're more than enough treasure for me, anyway. Losing you was far worse than losing this."

Nico, who had opened his mouth to speak, was speechless.

Smiling, the dragon gave Nico a peck on the lips. "I can survive," he repeated softly. "As long as I have you here, by my side. The hoard can wait."

Nico felt his shoulders relax and slump, and a relieved exhale puffed from his mouth.

"Stupid dragon," he muttered fondly.

Will's smile seemed to brighten the entire room. He nuzzled against the knight's hair and breathed him in. "I love you," he murmured.

Nico felt his cheeks get warmer. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Me too."

Chuckling softly at Nico's embarrassed tone, Will leaned in for another kiss.

Sharp, loud growling cut them off.

Immediately the two leapt apart and swiveled their heads to look in the direction of the sound. Nico's eyes widened, but not necessarily out of fear. It was more of surprise to see that it was a wyvern that had snuck up on them, of all things. Usually those things were more for charging and making a ruckus wherever they went. How had that one, such a little thing compared to the adults, learned to be_quiet_ and sneak up to them?

Will went on the defensive, moving so he stood between Nico and the beast. His shoulders were hunched, tense, and growls strong enough to surpass even the wyvern's ripped from his throat with each breath.

The wyvern didn't even flinch, probably too young and cocky to know he didn't stand a chance against the dragon. It braced itself against its wing-claws on the ground, crouching and preparing to pounce. Razor sharp teeth bared at Will, feral snarls loud and angry.

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "What does it want?" he whispered to Will.

The dragon gave a brisk shake of the head in response.

Hissing, the wyvern slapped the ground with its barb-tipped tail. It snarled again, taking a threatening step towards them.

Tilting his head, Will spoke to the beast in dragontongue. _"__Why are you here?"_

The wyvern stopped for a brief moment, probably startled at having a human speak in its language. Then its nose crinkled in disgust. _"__I could ask of you the same, intruder."_

Nico shook his head slowly. _"__You've taken this place while we've been gone?"_ he spoke next, using what he knew of dragontongue to his advantage. He leaned to the side to see the beast better. _"__Is this your territory now?"_

The wyvern snapped his eyes to the knight, yellow-green eyes narrowing to slits. _"__Who are _you_to try and claim this place?"_

_"__We weren't trying to claim it—"_ Nico began, but Will gestured with his hand for the man to quiet. Confused, he closed his mouth and waited. The dragon had straightened, his shoulders relaxing the slightest bit.

Will laughed a rumbling laugh, his amusement obvious but puzzling. The wyvern cocked its head in confusion.

_"__I thought I recognized that scent!"_ Will chuckled, shaking out his mess of blond hair. _"__You're Berella's boy, aren't you?"_

The wyvern stiffened, surprise making its defensive posture falter. _"__You know my mother?"_

Nico's eyes narrowed. "Who is he?" he spoke in humantongue, staring at the back of Will's head. "Who's this Be…rella?"

Will shot the man a reassuring smile. "Come on, you don't need to remember their names to know them. You were with me when we saved their lives, after all. Don't tell me you've forgotten already!"

Nico's eyes blew wide. His mouth hung open, stunned. "Th-Them…?" He stared at the wyvern, swallowing thickly. "Then he's one…one of the pups?"

Smile widening, Will turned back to the frozen beast. _"__Don't you remember us? It's me, Gwillym! The one who killed that male who was after you, your siblings and your mother?"_ The dragon gestured back to Nico. _"__And this is my mate, Nico. He's the one who played with you all while I was healing your mother's wing. Do you remember?"_

The wyvern's eyes widened also. He rose to his full height, sniffing at them skeptically. _"__You're the two who lived here before?"_

Will nodded. _"__We are. It's been a long time, boy. I'm glad to see you're doing well. How's the rest of your family?"_

The wyvern didn't answer. His eyes were locked with Nico's, head tilted in consideration. Sniffing again, the beast took a few steps closer to them. Also curious, Nico moved to stand at Will's side, which the dragon allowed since the immediate threat was little to none.

The wyvern stopped a few paces from them, focusing on the knight.

Breathing in deeply, the wyvern's eyes seemed to soften a tad. _"__You're the one…who saved me?"_

Nico's heart seemed to squeeze. _"__Don't tell me you're the pup that I…"_

The wyvern nodded faintly, jaws parted in what seemed to be a tiny smile. _"__You smell like him,"_ he said, voice quiet. _"__You smell like the human who saved me."_

Speechless once again, the knight stumbled forward and rested a hand on the wyvern's muzzle, as though to steady himself. The beast nuzzled into the touch in silence, eyelids fluttering closed.

_"__Your name is Nico?"_ he wondered, tone soft. One eye peeked open to look up at the man.

Nico nodded, fingers finding themselves tracing the scales along the wyvern's head. The pup had gotten so big over the past three years, it was almost unthinkable that Nico could have once held him up in this arms. _"__It is,"_ he said. _"__What's yours?"_

The wyvern was obviously smiling by that point, his tongue lolling out from one corner of his mouth much like a dog's would. _"__My name is Enk."_

Will stepped forward, grinning widely. He copied Nico by setting his hand against the wyvern's neck. _"__It's wonderful to see you again, Enk. It's been too long."_ Blue eyes turned to Nico. _"__Well then, you know what this means, angel."_

Nico raised an eyebrow at the blond.

Will's smile widened. _"__I think it's about time we went to see how the rest of the family is, wouldn't you think? Come on, Enk! I'm sure they'd all be excited to see Nico again!"_

Enk panted, excitement coming off him in waves. _"__Yes! Let's go!"_

With a soft chuckle, Nico laced his fingers with Will's as the merry wyvern spun around and skipped back to where they came. They followed behind a bit slower, relieved and happy to see a familiar face after so long.

Will's smile became crooked as he glanced over at the knight, his eyes softening. "You see? I told you so," he murmured. "This, all of this. _This_ is enough treasure for a hundred lifetimes. Gold and metal be damned."

Offering a small smile in return, Nico squeezed Will's hand. "Then let's make the best of it, then," he suggested, voice faint.

Will's smile brightened the cold torn-up walls of the tunnels, and they followed Enk out of the caves with renewed vigor, ready for another happy reunion.

It was about time for a new beginning.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**Short and sweet, my favorite.**

**I really want your ideas for oneshots here. Give me your thoughts, please!**

**Also, Matt has commissioned me to invite you all to write a Nico/Will/Percy story. Personally, I have seen one, but that one was rated M and you know what that means. Even then, if anyone wants to write a Nico/Will/Percy story, feel free to!**

**See you next chapter!**


	28. Hunted (Reverse Prologue)

**A/N: I was rereading ****_Gwillym_**** and I was struck with the urge to write this. So enjoy!**

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**_Reverse Prologue:_**** Hunted**

Gwillym son of Apollus was one of the strongest demigod dragons known by the gods. He had aided in the victory of the war against mankind, dragons, and demigods a millennia ago. He was considered a Hero of Olympia. He was an honorary member of the elder's counsel in Faerok. There was nothing he had not done for the sake of his friends and the gods, and there was little he had not accomplished during his lifetime.

But by the gods was he _bored_.

Gwillym sighed, stirring the coins and gemstones around his muzzle. He tried to shift into a more comfortable position on his massive nest of treasure. It was no use. There would be no sleeping that night.

With a slight grumble, the dragon closed his eyes and tried to will himself asleep. Maybe if he stayed still enough, for long enough…

No. It was no use. His mind was moving too fast for sleep.

He had been just fine that morning. Feeding the animals, watering the herbs, and checking the magic surrounding Gwillym's territory had been just as welcome and quiet as ever. There wasn't one moment he regretted leaving Faerok to stake up a peaceful life in the middle of nowhere. It was better than constant noise. And it was far better than the constant _war planning_.

Gwillym shuddered just thinking about it.

Even then, it was getting too quiet. Even with the current project of tracking down a rogue wyvern to save the livestock trapped by locals, there was hardly enough going on to qualify as living.

Gwillym shifted his wings and buried them the warm gold coins beneath him. What could he do, though? He had his animals to care for, and not to mention his territory. What else could he do to liven his routine up?

Perhaps he should go flying. The people of Delvwin didn't always care much for him heading over town, but perhaps he could forge through some unknown path until morning?

The dragon scoffed at his own train of thought. Even the idea was impossible. He'd travelled far and wide around his territory already, stretching in each direction until he had no choice but to turn back. There was nowhere left for him to explore.

There was nothing left for him to do.

So now, tired and aggravated, Gwillym just resigned himself to a sleepless night.

His mind was not ready to forget. It showed the fantasies of travelling, stretching his wings and flying across the landscape. Walking and flying for hours on end, stopping only to eat and rest. Gwillym remembered doing that sort of thing before, but that had been back during his youth. It had been millennia since he'd last even dreamed of it.

But there was no way that he was going to be able to travel without losing his grip on his territory and everything in it. The magic would only last so long. So if not some grand odyssey…then _what_?

As though the gods had heard his thoughts, a new smell caught the dragon's attention.

_Human_.

Gwillym lifted his nose and inhaled the scent. Metal. Sweat. Dirt. Fur. Testosterone.

A male knight with his hound, was it?

Still, he was bored. What fun was a simple man who thought he could kill him? But…his defensive magic had always created hilarious scenes while the knights went mad. Perhaps that's what he'd do. It would only last for a couple of minutes before unconsciousness fell, but Gwillym decided to take what he was given. A couple minutes of amusement was much better than none at all.

So Gwillym softly recited the spell and let it cast a glow across the room. Then, he switched to the local human language to communicate: "_I know you're there_." A canine-like yelp came from the tunnel, the dragon's only reply. So he continued. "_Why don't you come out now before I have to turn you into a pile of charcoal? I find humans a lot better alive, after all. A lot more entertaining._"

The dragon rested his head back down on his treasure nest as a figure seemed to filter into existence from the very shadows.

The supposed knight did not look very knightly in his ragged clothing and lack of armor, but he made up for it by his dignified stance and his raised sword. There was a sliver of fear in the air when the man set eyes on Gwillym, but otherwise there was no change. No proof that the dragon's magic had done anything at all.

Confusion brought Gwillym into a more upright position, eyeing the knight below.

The scent of the man was too human to think he had somehow broken the spell. The only other option was that the knight was somehow _not _there with ill intent. Or at least…not to kill the dragon. Perhaps his primary goal was the hoard?

Gwillym and the knight stared at each other for another moment before the dragon forced himself to speak. _"You have found my home."_

The knight still didn't reply or break out into mad song and dance, so the dragon tilted his head to one side and continued. _"Are you here to slay me? Or perhaps to threaten me into offering you some of my treasure? If that, be my guest and take a handful. I have too much for my liking, anyway._"

Just saying the words brought a twist in his gut, but it was only faint. The feeling would later surprise Gwillym, as at the moment he was too enthralled with the curious human to worry about the terrible prospect of sharing his hoard.

The man seemed just as surprised as he was. "D-Dragon treasure is bad l-luck."

Ah. So the shock was enough to gift a response. Too bad then, for Gwillym, that it answered none of the questions whirling around in his head. In fact, it sent him spiraling even further from understanding.

_"Not when given willingly,"_ Gwillym told the man, but the response seemed distant as he scrambled for a way to explain what was going on. Did the gods take away his magic or something? Was that what this was? Punishment for hiding away? _"I take it, then, you're here to try and slay me."_

The knight tensed up the slightest bit, shown only in the tendons of his neck. He did not speak. He only eyed the dragon with dark eyes concealed with dark hair. His silence irritated Gwillym. _Why are you here, little human?_

_"Will you not answer?"_ the dragon murmured instead.

The man shivered, but that was all.

Gwillym brought his head closer to scrutinize the knight. Was that a response to the magic, or was it only a reaction to his words? Interest peeking through the folds of his confusion, he leaned his head slightly closer and sniffed at the man. There was no more fear. _"Tell me your name."_

That seemed to draw the knight out of his thoughts. "Wh-Why should I tell you that?"

Gwillym fought down a chuckle. The human's voice was the only thing still showing his emotions, and only _that_ was in the slightest warble of speech. What other mysteries were hidden in that tiny body? "_Because the victim has a right to know the name of his killer_."

The man lowered his sword. "N-Nico. Nico di Angelo."

_He didn't deny being the killer,_ Gwillym noted. And if he was correct, the knight's lowered sword was a very, _very_ small reaction to the magic. If it was at all.

It was only when the sword fell from the man's limp grip did Gwillym receive an answer he was hoping for. The magic _was_ working. It just didn't seem to be working very fast or very strongly.

The knight, Nico di Angelo, held his gaze on the dragon before him as though he were merely talking to some acquaintance. There was no hint of nervousness in his body. It seemed he was so well-equipped with control that even Gwillym's magic did nothing to alter it.

Gwillym thought on the man's name. Nico…Nico… The name was foreign, and the man had an accent that spoke of his origin over the sea. The dragon was old enough to recognize it, and he told the man as such by calling him an angel. And that was his name: _Nico the Angel_. (It was fully translated to _Victor of Angels_, but that didn't serve as a very cute name in the dragon's opinion.)

Nico's body tensed a little and shivered, most likely again because of the magic in the air. But there was so much poise in his body and confidence in his eyes that Gwillym couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity in his chest.

A little human that broke his spell. Interesting.

Before he knew it, Gwillym had shrunk to his human persona and was walking up to the man. Nico narrowed his eyes slightly at the change, but he did not back away as Gwillym looked him up and down from a closer range. Ragged clothes became well-worn. Unblemished olive skin became riddled with pale scars from past battles. Dark hair and eyes became a healthy sheen of black, rather than the vague dark grey it had been from a distance.

At this vantage point Gwillym could also take note of the man's features. He was smaller than the average human, but that didn't mean much against the muscle covering what the dragon could see of the man's body. He would be able to hold himself against most humans, perhaps. If he knew how to fight.

He might have been attractive. He had a pleasant face at least to the dragon, but it wasn't like he was the best one to judge. He was better off keeping his mouth shut on the entire subject.

Gwillym drew his eyes down to the abandoned blade at Nico's feet. "You dropped your sword," he noted aloud. Did he even notice? He didn't seem to be aware of anything but the dragon.

Nico's mouth gave the slightest hint at a crooked smile, which brightened his face considerably. It made him seem much more approachable, and it definitely did something wonderful to his already-pleasant features. Still…he was no expert.

The dragon matched the smile with one of his own. "Does this mean you're rethinking killing me?" he teased. Despite his attempt at lightness, he couldn't help the string of hope that slid into his words. Perhaps this meant he could talk more to the man—to ask him why his magic wasn't having an effect.

"More like I'll drink in your presence before I can think any further to pick it up," came Nico's immediate reply.

Gwillym's smile was less forced. _Drink in his presence_, huh? "Then how about you come closer, so you're not near it if you retaliate?"

But Nico didn't move from that spot. "What's your name?" he said instead.

The dragon puffed a laugh at the forced evasion. "Gwillym."

"Quite the mouthful," Nico mused. "Can I call you Will?"

Will? Did that mean he would talk to him? At the prospect, Gwillym nodded eagerly and held out a hand to gesture Nico to follow. "Of course, Angel."

_Anything to know you better._

Almost as though unconsciously, Nico reached out and took the hand Gwillym was holding out.

Even though he was surprised, the dragon didn't hesitate to take advantage of the moment to draw the knight away from his discarded weapon. He led him deeper into the cave so the magic might wear off, and Nico wouldn't be able to angrily try to kill him in response.

But who knows? Perhaps the magic hadn't worked at all, and everything Nico was doing as completely out of his own will. Or…maybe not. Nico had yanked his hand out of Gwillym's grip the moment they stepped out of the treasure room. The dragon's questioning gaze brought about a rather vibrant rosy color in the man's cheeks. More expression than the dragon had ever seen during the entire time they spoke in the other room.

Gwillym found he liked it.

And despite all of the puzzlements of the day, one thing was for certain: Gwillym wasn't bored anymore.

And that in itself was an exciting feeling.

**~ΨΩΨ~**

**I really need to get back to writing daily. So that might just be enough to bring up another Solangelo fic in the future. Who knows?**


End file.
